Using to + ing verbs in some fixed expressions
look forward to, accustomed to, with a view to, commit to, confess to, devoted to, take to, object to, etc
In English, there are some fixed expressions with ‘to’ that take an -ing verb instead of a to-infinitive. You might’ve met one of such expressions before.
I look forward to hearing from you…especially at the end of a formal letter.
ALSO READ: Using gerunds appropriately
This expression (look forward to), and many others in the subtitle of this post, does not conform to a rule where we must’ve thought we’d find a to-infinitive verb.
There are very few of them, and one way to learn them is to commit these grammatical constructions to memory.
These fixed expressions are:
commit to doing yoga/reading books/following a strict diet/exercising regularly
with a view to seeing his girlfriend/creating his future/reading his lecture notes
am/is/are used to sleeping late/eating late/playing football
accustomed to having his word questioned/drawing cartoons/running errands/drinking beers
confess to killing the fowl/stealing the money/coming late to work
be opposed to paying taxes/working more hours/smoking cigarette
object to driving a car/smoking cigarettes/watching television
take to drinking alcohol/partying with girls/womanizing
be devoted to fighting a cause/finishing strong/staying faithful
be addicted to gambling/eating chocolate
admit to lying/stealing/partying with girls/smoking cigarette
get around to writing the report/finishing his term paper
As daunting as these fixed expressions might be, they are essential in writing intelligible and grammatically correct sentences in English.
With love and everything English,
Francis