Gerunds and Infinitives: Look Forward To, Object To

Look forward to and object to contain a hidden trap for English learners. The word "to" in these phrases is a preposition, not part of an infinitive. This means they must be followed by a gerund: "I look forward to seeing you" (not "to see"). Many learners make the mistake of using an infinitive because they see "to" and think of the infinitive form. Remember: prepositions are always followed by gerunds in English.

Other expressions with prepositional "to" include be/get used to ("I'm used to working early"), in addition to ("In addition to cooking, she also cleans"), and when it comes to ("When it comes to saving money, he's an expert"). To test if "to" is a preposition, try replacing the verb with a noun: "I look forward to the meeting" works, so "to" is a preposition. Compare with "I want to go" — you cannot say "I want to the meeting," so this "to" is part of the infinitive. This preposition test helps you choose correctly in Cambridge B1-B2 examinations.