Afraid to Do and Afraid of -ing
Choosing between to-infinitive and preposition + -ing after adjectives like afraid, interested, and sorry
Afraid to Do vs. Afraid of -ing
These two structures look similar, but the meaning is different.
Afraid to do something means you don’t want to do it because it is dangerous or the outcome could be bad. You choose not to act.
- The office is in a rough part of town. Some staff are afraid to walk to the car park after dark. (= they avoid walking there)
- He was afraid to mention the budget overrun to his manager. (= he didn’t mention it because he expected a bad reaction)
Afraid of something happening means you worry that a bad thing will happen. You don’t choose the situation — you fear the consequence.
- The roads were icy, so I drove slowly. I was afraid of crashing. (= I was worried I might crash)
- She keeps all her files backed up. She’s afraid of losing her data. (= she fears that data loss might happen)
The two often connect: you are afraid to do something because you are afraid of something happening as a result.
- I was afraid to send the email because I was afraid of making the client angry.
Interested in -ing vs. Interested to Do
| Structure | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| interested in + -ing | thinking of doing it, wanting to do it | Are you interested in attending the workshop? |
| interested to + verb | it was/would be interesting for me (hear, see, know, learn, read) | I was interested to hear that our Tokyo office is expanding. |
Use interested in -ing when you talk about a possible action:
- Nobody in the team was interested in taking the night shift. (not
interested to take) - Let me know if you’re interested in applying for the position.
Use interested to + hear/see/know/learn/read when you react to information:
- I’d be interested to know what the board decided.
- We were interested to see how the new process worked in practice.
Sorry for -ing vs. Sorry to Do
| Structure | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| sorry for + -ing | apologising for something you did | I’m sorry for missing the deadline. |
| sorry to + verb | expressing regret about something that happened | I’m sorry to hear that your project was cancelled. |
| sorry to + verb | apologising at the moment you do it | I’m sorry to interrupt, but we need to leave now. |
- I’m sorry for giving you the wrong figures yesterday. (= apology for a past action)
- She’ll be sorry to leave the team. She’s enjoyed working here. (= she regrets it)
Common Verb Patterns: to Do vs. Preposition + -ing
Some verbs and expressions take to + infinitive, others take preposition + -ing. Here are common pairs:
| to + infinitive | preposition + -ing |
|---|---|
| *want to do* | *think of doing* |
| *hope to do* | *dream of doing* |
| *fail to do* | *succeed in doing* |
| *allow somebody to do* | *prevent somebody from doing* |
| *plan to do* | *look forward to doing* |
| *promise to do* | *insist on doing* |
Watch out for look forward to — the to here is a preposition, not part of the infinitive. It is followed by -ing.
- I’m looking forward to meeting you next week. (not
to meet)
Quick Self-Check
The presentation is tomorrow, but Mark hasn't rehearsed. He's _____ in front of the whole department.
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We drove very carefully on the mountain road. We were _____ off the edge.
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Several colleagues are _____ the new training programme. Should we sign them up?
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I'm _____ you yesterday. I didn't mean what I said.
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We're really looking forward _____ with the new client next Monday.
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