'advise', 'help' and 'remind' used with gerund instead of infinitive

Native and fluent speakers usually pair advise, remind, and (often) help with a person plus an infinitive: advise someone to do something. Dropping the object and using a gerund makes the sentence ambiguous or incorrect when you mean a specific person was told to act.

Below: a clear rule, concise patterns, many wrong/right pairs, context examples for work/school/casual, quick rewrite templates, a memory trick, and FAQs to help you fix lines like "She advised going" fast.

Quick answer

Use advise/remind + person + to-infinitive (She advised him to go). For help, use help + person + (to) + base verb or a bare infinitive (Help me move). Avoid replacing the infinitive with a gerund when a person is the actor.

Correct: She advised him to go to the doctor.
Incorrect: She advised going to the doctor (ambiguous if you mean she told someone to go).
Note: Impersonal or formal notices can use different structures (It is advised that...).

Core grammar: why advise usually needs an object + infinitive

Advise and remind typically name the person who should act, then show the action with to + base verb. That structure removes ambiguity about who must do what.

Using advise + gerund either makes the advice general (no actor) or creates an ungrammatical construction in everyday usage. When you mean someone was told to act, add the object and use the infinitive.

Form: advise + (someone) + to + base verb - She advised him to call.
Gerund form (advise doing) reads as general advice or becomes unclear - She advised reading the manual (could be general).

Wrong: She advised going to the doctor for a check-up.
Right: She advised him to go to the doctor for a check-up.
Wrong: They advised postponing the meeting.
Right: They advised the manager to postpone the meeting.
Wrong: The counselor advised speaking with your parents.
Right: The counselor advised her to speak with her parents.

When a gerund is acceptable (and when it isn't)

A gerund after advise can be acceptable in impersonal or formal notices that focus on the action rather than a person, but this is less common in everyday writing and speech.

Impersonal/formal: It is advised that applicants arrive early. (notice style)
Recommend (different behavior): I recommend reading Chapter 2. (gerund is normal)
Direct advice: She advised him to read Chapter 2. (preferred when a person is involved)

Wrong if you mean a person: She advised reading the manual before use.
Right: She advised him to read the manual before use.

Real usage and tone: work, school, and casual contexts

Precise wording matters most at work and school, where who acts and when should be clear. In casual speech, shortcuts sometimes pass, but they can still confuse listeners.

Work: specify the actor - At the staff meeting, she advised us to document every decision.
School: advisors and teachers use the same pattern - The guidance counselor advised him to apply for scholarships.
Casual: conversational shortcuts happen - Her friend advised her to try the new café.

The safety officer advised employees to wear gloves.
Professor Lee advised students to read the chapter before class.
They advised us to go early to avoid queues.

Examples: common wrong/right pairs you'll see and how to fix them

Use the template [Subject] advised [object] to [base verb] when a person is the intended actor.

Wrong: My boss advised taking shorter breaks. -
Right: My boss advised us to take shorter breaks.
Wrong: They advised studying together. -
Right: They advised the students to study together.
Wrong: He advised canceling the subscription. -
Right: He advised me to cancel the subscription.
Wrong: I reminded him going to the meeting tomorrow. -
Right: I reminded him to go to the meeting tomorrow.
Wrong: Can you help me moving this table? -
Right: Can you help me move this table?
Wrong: We advised booking early. -
Right: We advised customers to book early.

Try your own sentence

Test the full sentence rather than a phrase. If a person was told to act, add the person and use to + verb for clarity.

How to fix your own sentence in three quick steps

These steps work for emails, essays, and quick edits.

Identify the actor: Who should act? (him, them, us, the team)
Insert that object right after advise/remind/help: advise someone
Change the gerund to to + base verb (or use the bare infinitive with help): to do, to call, to check

Rewrite:
Wrong: She advised going to Paris next summer. → She advised him to go to Paris next summer.
Rewrite:
Wrong: Alex advised checking the database. → Alex advised the team to check the database.
Rewrite:
Wrong: We advised booking early. → We advised customers to book early.

Memory trick and patterns to remember

Mnemonic: "someone - to - action." If there's no someone and you mean a specific person should act, add one. Picture the line: advise - (someone) - to - verb.

Advise: advise + someone + to + verb.
Remind: remind + someone + to + verb (I reminded her to submit the form).
Help: help + someone + (to) + verb - help me move or help me to move; avoid gerunds after help.

Similar mistakes and verbs to watch

Some verbs favor gerunds, others prefer infinitives, and a few allow both with a meaning shift. Learn the common pairings to avoid repeating the same mistake.

Remind + someone + to + verb - I reminded him to sign the form.
Recommend + gerund is normal - I recommend reading the report. For a person-specific construction you can use that + clause - I recommended that he read it.
Suggest + gerund (I suggest reading) vs. suggest + that + clause (I suggest that you read).

Wrong: I reminded him going to the meeting tomorrow. -
Right: I reminded him to go to the meeting tomorrow.
Wrong: Can you help me moving this table? -
Right: Can you help me move this table?

Hyphenation, spacing, and small editing traps

No hyphen between to and the base verb (don't write to-go). Watch spacing: don't add an extra space after to or before the verb. Also scan for a missing object after advise or remind.

Correct spacing: advised him to go.
No hyphen: advised him to go (not advised him to-go).
Punctuation: "After the meeting, she advised him to wait."

FAQ

Is "She advised going" always wrong?

Not always. In formal or impersonal notices a gerund may appear. But if you mean a person was instructed, write "She advised him to go" for clarity in most contexts.

Can you say "advise doing" with no object?

Yes, in impersonal statements or general advice (It is advised avoiding crowded places), but conversational and written English usually prefers an explicit object plus infinitive when a person is involved.

Which is correct: "help me moving" or "help me move"?

"Help me move" (bare infinitive) is the common form. "Help me to move" is also acceptable in some varieties. "Help me moving" with a gerund is nonstandard here.

Why do some verbs allow gerunds and others don't?

It's a property of each verb. Recommend and suggest commonly take gerunds; advise and remind usually require an object + infinitive for direct advice. Learning verbs with their typical complements helps most.

How can I check a sentence quickly before sending an email?

Ask: do I mean a person was told to act? If yes, insert the person and use to + base verb. For a fast check, paste the sentence into a grammar checker or use the widget above to flag missing objects and suggest rewrites.

Want to check a sentence right now?

If you're unsure whether to write "She advised going" or "She advised him to go," paste the sentence into a checker or use the widget above to get instant suggestions on verb complements and missing objects.