Anticipate to Do vs. Anticipate Doing – Which is Correct?
When you mean that you expect or foresee an action, use “anticipate doing,” not “anticipate to do.” The verb anticipate is normally followed by a gerund (an -ing form), a noun phrase, or a clause. Thus, write “We anticipate receiving the results,” rather than “We anticipate to receive the results”.
Anticipate to Do or Doing – Which is Correct?
Anticipate doing is the correct standard-English construction. The phrase anticipate to do is generally considered incorrect because anticipate is not normally followed directly by a to-infinitive. Instead, follow anticipate with a gerund, such as anticipate arriving, a noun phrase, such as anticipate delays, or a clause, such as anticipate that demand will increase.
The confusion probably comes from verbs with similar meanings, including expect and plan, which can be followed by to do: “We expect to arrive soon” and “We plan to arrive soon.” Although anticipate can mean “expect,” it uses a different grammatical pattern in careful English.
This distinction is closely related to the broader usage differences explained in Expect vs. Anticipate.
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the -ing test: after anticipate, imagine placing the word the. If the sentence can naturally take a noun, the following action should usually be expressed as a thing or event ending in -ing. For example, “We anticipate the arrival” becomes “We anticipate arriving.” Remember: expect to do, but anticipate doing.
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| anticipate to do | Incorrect verb pattern | A nonstandard combination caused by confusing anticipate with expect or plan | Avoid: “We anticipate to finish tomorrow.” |
| anticipate doing | Verb + gerund | Expect or foresee an action or event | “We anticipate finishing tomorrow.” |
How to Use Anticipate Doing
Anticipate doing means to expect, foresee, or prepare for an action or event. The word doing is a gerund: it has the form of a present participle but functions grammatically as a noun. This construction is common in formal, professional, academic, and everyday English.
Use anticipate doing when the subject of anticipate is also the implied subject of the following action. For example, in “I anticipate moving next year,” I is the person expected to move. When the subjects are different, use a noun phrase or a clause instead: “I anticipate the company’s expanding” is possible but formal, while “I anticipate that the company will expand” is often clearer.
Example 1: The researchers anticipate finding a connection between the two conditions.
Example 2: We anticipate receiving several questions after the announcement.
Example 3: The airline anticipates adding more flights during the summer season.
What are the different forms of Anticipate Doing?
The verb anticipate is regular. Its main forms are anticipate, anticipates, anticipated, and anticipating. The following verb remains in the gerund form after anticipate: anticipate leaving, anticipated leaving, and is anticipating leaving.
Examples across tenses include “I anticipate hearing from them,” “She anticipates moving soon,” “They anticipated encountering delays,” and “The team is anticipating making changes.” The construction can also appear in negative and question forms: “We do not anticipate needing extra staff” and “Do you anticipate working late?”
Etymology of the word Anticipate
Anticipate comes from the Latin verb anticipare, meaning “to take beforehand” or “to foresee.” It entered English through French and Latin-influenced usage in the sixteenth century. Its modern meanings include expecting an event, predicting what will happen, and taking action in advance.
Related Concepts
Understanding verb complementation and gerunds makes it easier to choose the correct structure after anticipate.
- Gerunds: A gerund is an -ing form that functions as a noun. In “They anticipate winning,” winning names the expected event.
- To-infinitives: A to-infinitive uses to plus the base verb, as in to leave. Verbs such as expect, hope, and plan commonly take this form, but anticipate generally does not.
- Verb complementation: Different verbs require or prefer different structures after them. Learning each verb’s typical pattern is more reliable than translating directly from another language.
- Subject control: In “She anticipates winning,” the understood subject of winning is she. If another person performs the action, use a clause: “She anticipates that her colleague will win.”
Examples from Media and Literature
The correct pattern appears frequently in professional reporting, fiction, academic writing, and public announcements. The following examples show natural uses in those contexts:
- News reporting: “Officials anticipate reopening the bridge after safety inspections are complete.”
- Business communication: “The company anticipates launching its updated service in the autumn.”
- Academic writing: “The authors anticipate observing different results among older participants.”
- Historical fiction: “The captain anticipated encountering resistance before reaching the harbor.”
- Film or television dialogue: “I don’t anticipate seeing him at the meeting tonight.”
Anticipate Doing Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| expect to do | Believe that an action or event is likely to happen; this synonym takes a to-infinitive. |
| foresee doing | Imagine or predict a future action or situation. |
| envisage doing | Form a mental picture of a possible future action; this is especially common in formal English. |
| look forward to doing | Expect an action with pleasure or enthusiasm. |
| prepare for doing | Make arrangements or take steps in readiness for an action. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “anticipate to do” grammatically correct?
No. In standard English, anticipate to do is not the normal or accepted construction. Use anticipate doing, such as “They anticipate completing the project soon.”
Question 2: Is it “anticipate doing” or “anticipate to doing”?
The correct form is anticipate doing. Do not add to before the gerund. For example, write “She anticipates moving abroad,” not “She anticipates to moving abroad.”
Question 3: Can anticipate be followed by a noun?
Yes. You can say “We anticipate delays,” “The organization anticipates strong demand,” or “The manager anticipates a successful outcome.” Anticipate can also be followed by a that-clause: “We anticipate that prices will rise.”
Conclusion
Use anticipate doing, not anticipate to do. The verb anticipate normally takes a gerund, noun phrase, or that-clause, while verbs such as expect and plan can take a to-infinitive. Pro Tip: Choosing the correct verb pattern strengthens your credibility in professional emails, reports, applications, and academic writing.
