Facilitate to Do vs. Facilitate Doing – Which is Correct?
When choosing between “facilitate to do” and “facilitate doing,” use “facilitate doing.” The verb facilitate is normally followed by a noun or gerund phrase, such as “facilitate communication” or “facilitate learning.” To express a person’s ability, use “enable someone to do,” not “facilitate someone to do,” in standard American English.
Facilitate to Do or Doing – Which is Correct?
Facilitate doing is the standard construction in American English. The verb facilitate means “to make an action or process easier,” so it is commonly followed by a noun, a gerund phrase, or an object plus a noun phrase.
For example, write “The software facilitates sharing files” or “The workshop facilitated communication.” The construction facilitate to do is generally considered incorrect or nonstandard when facilitate is followed directly by an infinitive. If you mean “make it possible for someone to do something,” use enable someone to do something.
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the “make easier” swap test. Replace facilitate with “make easier.” If the sentence naturally describes an activity, use the -ing form: “facilitate learning” means “make learning easier.” For a person followed by an action, switch to enable someone to do: “enable employees to work remotely.”
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| facilitate to do | Nonstandard construction | Usually an incorrect attempt to use facilitate before an infinitive | Avoid: “The tool facilitates to share files.” |
| facilitate doing | Verb + gerund | Make an activity or process easier | “The tool facilitates sharing files.” |
How to Use Facilitate Doing
Facilitate is a formal or neutral verb meaning “to make something easier,” “to assist a process,” or “to help something happen.” It is especially common in business, education, research, healthcare, technology, and government writing.
When the action being made easier is expressed as a verb, use a gerund after facilitate. A gerund is the -ing form of a verb functioning as a noun. Common patterns include facilitate learning, facilitate communication, facilitate decision-making, and facilitate cooperation.
Example 1: The discussion was designed to facilitate understanding between the two teams.
Example 2: Online tools facilitate collaborating with colleagues in different locations.
Example 3: The updated procedure facilitates collecting accurate customer information.
Etymology of the Word Facilitate
Facilitate comes from the Latin facilis, meaning “easy,” which is related to facere, meaning “to make” or “to do.” It entered English in the early nineteenth century and originally referred to making something easier. Its modern uses include helping a process, discussion, transaction, or development proceed smoothly.
Related Concepts
Understanding verb patterns helps explain why facilitate doing is preferred over facilitate to do. Different verbs select different structures after them.
- Gerund: A gerund is an -ing form that acts as a noun, as in “facilitate learning” or “avoid making mistakes.”
- Infinitive: An infinitive uses to plus the base verb, as in “enable students to participate.” Some verbs require or allow infinitives, but facilitate is not normally followed directly by one.
- Verb complementation: This describes the grammatical pattern that follows a verb. For example, encourage someone to participate and facilitate participation use different patterns.
- Enable versus facilitate: Enable often means giving a person the ability or permission to do something, while facilitate means making a process or activity easier.
Examples from Media and Literature
The following examples reflect the kinds of sentences commonly found in journalism, business reporting, educational texts, and fiction:
- News writing: “The agreement is intended to facilitate cooperation between neighboring countries.”
- Business reporting: “The new payment system facilitates purchasing for international customers.”
- Educational writing: “Small-group discussion can facilitate learning and improve student participation.”
- Health communication: “The redesigned clinic aims to facilitate accessing essential services.”
- Literary-style narration: “The quiet room facilitated remembering details that had long been forgotten.”
Facilitate Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| Enable | Give someone or something the ability or opportunity to act |
| Assist | Help someone complete an action or task |
| Aid | Help or support a person, activity, or process |
| Support | Provide practical, emotional, or structural help |
| Promote | Encourage or help the development of something |
| Streamline | Make a process more efficient and simpler |
| Encourage | Give someone confidence or motivation to act |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “facilitate to do” grammatically correct?
Usually not. In standard American English, facilitate is not normally followed directly by to plus a base verb. Use “facilitate doing,” “facilitate an activity,” or “enable someone to do something,” depending on your meaning.
Question 2: Should I say “facilitate doing” or “facilitate someone doing”?
Both can be possible, but they have different structures. “The software facilitates sharing” is a straightforward and widely accepted construction. “The software facilitates users sharing files” may be used in some contexts, although “The software facilitates file sharing by users” is often clearer and more formal.
Question 3: What is the difference between “facilitate” and “enable”?
Facilitate means to make an activity or process easier, while enable means to give someone or something the ability or opportunity to do something. Therefore, write “The workshop facilitated communication” but “The workshop enabled participants to communicate.”
Conclusion
Use facilitate doing, not facilitate to do, when describing an activity that is made easier. For example, write “The program facilitates learning” or “The policy facilitates communication.” When a person is followed by an action, choose enable someone to do something. Pro Tip: Using the correct verb pattern makes professional writing sound precise, polished, and credible.
