'afford', 'choose', 'deserve', 'pretend', 'learn', 'strive', 'want' and 'struggle' used with gerund instead of infinitive

Verbs such as afford, decide, choose, deserve, want, learn, pretend, strive and struggle normally take a to-infinitive (to + base verb). Saying "afford buying" or "want becoming" is nonstandard; use "afford to buy" or "want to become" instead.

Below: a quick rule, tight spotting tips, many wrong/right pairs, ready rewrites for work, school and casual contexts, memory tricks, related pitfalls, and a small checker widget you can try.

Quick answer

Use to + base verb after afford and other intention/choice verbs. Say "afford to buy," not "afford buying."

Correct: I can't afford to buy that laptop.
Incorrect: I can't afford buying that laptop.
Note: "afford + noun" is fine (I can afford a car). Verbs of enjoyment/avoidance (enjoy, avoid, admit) usually take the -ing form.

Core explanation: which verbs take the to-infinitive

Verbs that express intention, choice, capacity or expectation typically take to + base verb. The infinitive presents a planned or potential action; the gerund treats the action as a noun or ongoing activity.

Common infinitive verbs: afford, decide, choose, deserve, want, learn, pretend, hope, promise, plan, expect, strive, struggle, fail.
Rule of thumb: intention/decision/desire → to + verb. Enjoyment/avoidance/consideration verbs → verb-ing (enjoy, avoid, consider, admit).

Wrong: I can't afford buying a new laptop.
Right: I can't afford to buy a new laptop.
Wrong: She wants becoming a manager.
Right: She wants to become a manager.

How to spot the mistake fast

Scan for intention verbs (afford, decide, want, learn, etc.) followed by a verb ending in -ing. That pattern often needs changing to to + base verb.

Ask: does the sentence describe a planned or potential action? If so, use the infinitive.

Search for: afford/learn/want/pretend + verb-ing → likely change to to + base verb.
If the word after afford is a noun (afford a car) leave it as-is; don't turn nouns into verbs.

Wrong: They struggle making ends meet.
Right: They struggle to make ends meet.
Spotting tip: Replace the phrase with "want to"-if that sounds natural, use the infinitive.

Clear wrong/right pairs (general)

For the verbs listed above, change verb-ing to to + base verb. These common swaps fix many errors.

Wrong: I can't afford buying lunch every day.
Right: I can't afford to buy lunch every day.
Wrong: He deserves being recognized for the work.
Right: He deserves to be recognized for the work.
Wrong: We decided postponing the event.
Right: We decided to postpone the event.
Wrong: She learned playing chess as a child.
Right: She learned to play chess as a child.
Wrong: They pretended being interested.
Right: They pretended to be interested.
Wrong: I won't afford losing that client.
Right: I can't afford to lose that client.

Examples you can copy (work, school and casual)

Choose the corrected sentence that fits your context; infinitives suit formal and clear writing.

Work - Wrong: We can't afford delaying the product launch by a month.Work -
Right: We can't afford to delay the product launch by a month.
Work - Wrong: The project cannot afford losing momentum now.Work -
Right: The project cannot afford to lose momentum now.
Work - Wrong: I can't afford paying for extra contractor hours.Work -
Right: I can't afford to pay for extra contractor hours.
School - Wrong: I couldn't afford going to the summer program last year.School -
Right: I couldn't afford to go to the summer program last year.
School - Wrong: She learned singing basic harmonies in middle school.School -
Right: She learned to sing basic harmonies in middle school.
School - Wrong: They pretended being experts during the presentation.School -
Right: They pretended to be experts during the presentation.
Casual - Wrong: I can't afford taking that trip right now.Casual -
Right: I can't afford to take that trip right now.
Casual - Wrong: He's struggling finding an apartment this month.Casual -
Right: He's struggling to find an apartment this month.
Casual - Wrong: I can't afford buying coffee every day.Casual -
Right: I can't afford to buy coffee every day.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence rather than an isolated phrase-context usually settles whether to use -ing or to + verb.

Rewrite help: three fast patterns (plus copy-ready alternatives)

When you find afford + gerund, choose one fix:

Standard: change "afford doing" → "afford to do".
Noun alternative: use "afford + noun" or "have the budget for + noun".
Tone alternative: replace with phrasing like "can't justify," "not in our budget," or "not an option."

Rewrite 1: Original: I cannot afford buying a plane ticket right now.Standard: I cannot afford to buy a plane ticket right now.Alt 1 (plain): I don't have the money to buy a plane ticket right now.Alt 2 (colloquial): A plane ticket isn't in my budget right now.
Rewrite 2: Original: She wants becoming a doctor.Standard: She wants to become a doctor.Alt 1 (formal): Her goal is to become a doctor.Alt 2 (hopeful): She hopes to become a doctor.
Rewrite 3: Original: We can't afford delaying the meeting.Standard: We can't afford to delay the meeting.Alt 1 (direct): We don't have room to delay the meeting.Alt 2 (polite): Delaying the meeting isn't an option for us.
Rewrite 4: Original: They're struggling finding childcare.Standard: They're struggling to find childcare.Alt 1 (noun): They don't have reliable childcare.Alt 2 (helpful): They're having trouble arranging childcare.
Rewrite 5: Original: I couldn't afford going to the conference.Standard: I couldn't afford to go to the conference.Alt 1 (budget): The conference wasn't in my budget.Alt 2 (concise): I didn't have funds for the conference.

Memory trick and quick rules of thumb

Mnemonic: "I want to, I learn to, I afford to" - intention verbs take TO. If a verb shows desire, plan or expectation, use to + verb.

Substitution test: replace the verb with "decide" or "want." If the sentence still prefers to + verb, use the infinitive; if it sounds wrong, keep the gerund.

Test: "I can't afford buying this" → "I can't afford to buy this" (works → infinitive).
Opposite test: "I enjoy driving" → "I want driving" (bad → keep gerund).
Usage notes: Intention verb: She learned to drive at sixteen. Enjoy/gerund: I enjoy driving.

Real usage, borderline cases and register

Informal speech and learner English sometimes use "afford + gerund." Native speakers usually understand it, but editors and formal readers treat it as incorrect.

Fix "afford + gerund" in emails, reports, essays and public posts. In private speech it's understandable, but the infinitive is safer across registers.

Acceptable: afford + noun (I can afford a car).
Avoid: afford + gerund in formal writing.
When in doubt, use the infinitive-it's the least ambiguous choice.

Casual: "I can't afford buying that right now" → people will understand, but write "I can't afford to buy that right now."
Formal: "We cannot afford to miss the deadline." → correct and expected.

Similar mistakes, hyphenation and spacing notes

Some verb pairs change meaning with gerund vs infinitive; learn those separately (stop, remember, try).

Formatting: write the infinitive as two tokens: "to" + base verb. Don't hyphenate or join them.

Meaning shifts to learn separately: stop + -ing vs stop to + verb; remember + -ing vs remember to + verb; try + -ing vs try to + verb.
Hyphenation/spacing: correct "to buy", not "to-buy" or "tobuy".

Wrong: I stopped to smoking last year.
Right: I stopped smoking last year.
Wrong: She tried to calling him.
Right: She tried calling him. (or She tried to call him.)

FAQ

Can I say "afford buying" in British English?

No. "Afford buying" is generally nonstandard in both British and American English. Use "afford to buy" or "afford + noun" instead.

What about "afford + noun"-is that different?

Yes. "Afford + noun" is correct: "I can afford a car." The problem appears when afford is followed by a gerund rather than an infinitive.

Which verbs usually take the to-infinitive?

Common infinitive verbs include afford, decide, choose, deserve, want, learn, pretend, hope, promise, plan, expect, strive, struggle and fail. Grouping verbs by meaning helps you remember patterns.

How do I fix this quickly across a long document?

Search for the verb list followed by -ing forms. For each hit, ask if the verb expresses intention or choice; if yes, change verb-ing to to + base verb or rephrase with a noun alternative.

Will grammar tools catch "afford buying"?

Most modern grammar checkers flag "afford buying" and suggest "afford to buy." Use a checker for bulk edits but review each suggestion for context.

Try a quick sentence check

If you're unsure, paste a sentence into a grammar checker or try the widget above. Look for suggestions that change -ing to to + base verb and choose the option that fits your tone and register.