Common Grammar Mistake: 'look forward' not followed by 'to'

One common mistake that people often make in their writing is using the phrasal verb 'look forward' without the preposition 'to'.

Understanding the mistake

The phrasal verb 'look forward' is used to express anticipation or excitement about a future event or action. However, many people incorrectly omit the preposition 'to' after the verb. This missing preposition can affect the overall meaning and coherence of the sentence.

Correct usage

When using the phrasal verb 'look forward', it should be followed by the preposition 'to' and an indirect object, such as a noun or a gerund (verb ending in '-ing').

• Incorrect: I look forward meeting you tomorrow.
• Correct: I look forward to meeting you tomorrow.

In the correct example, we have included the preposition 'to' followed by the gerund 'meeting' and the indirect object 'you'. This construction creates a grammatically accurate and meaningful sentence.

Other examples

Here are a few more examples of correct usage:

• Incorrect: She looks forward her vacation next week.
• Correct: She looks forward to her vacation next week.
• Incorrect: We are looking forward the new movie release.
• Correct: We are looking forward to the new movie release.

By including the preposition 'to', we clarify that the speaker is anticipating or anticipating an event or action, rather than just stating a fact.

Linguix grammar checker

To avoid making this common grammar mistake (and many others), you can use the Linguix grammar checker. Linguix is a powerful tool that helps to identify and correct grammatical errors in your writing. It can provide real-time suggestions and explanations to enhance your writing skills and make your content more professional.