avoid

This week’s language tip helps with the verb avoid: 

Avoid is never used with an infinitive. It is followed by a verb in the -ing form:

✗ Avoid to use long quotations unless really necessary.
✓ Avoid using long quotations unless really necessary.
✗ A survey has found that most smokers would avoid to eat out if smoking were banned.
✓ A survey has found that most smokers would avoid eating out if smoking were banned.

Macmillan language tips