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I wonder the word 'to' can follow avoid as an grammatical order.

For example,

  1. We avoided going to school together.
  2. We avoided to go to school together.

Is the second sentence wrong?

I googled it and I found many sentences using 'to' with avoid.

ex) 1. Living alone to go to outside. 2. avoid to go this place 3. How to avoid to go back..

I am confused which is the correct one.

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  • Google showed you that people are using this wrong, not that they are models of using it right. I can't think of using 'avoid to' in a natural sentence. Not saying it's impossible to force it.
    – Yosef Baskin
    Commented Aug 4, 2017 at 5:20

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The verb avoid followed by a subordinate clause, starting that, or using the infinitive to... used to be possible. It is listed in the OED at sense 11. But the latter declares it now to be obsolete:

  1. Obs. or arch. const. of senses 8 – 10: with subord. clause. To avoid that; with inf. To avoid to do.

1577 R. Holinshed Hist. Scotl. 412/1 in Chron. I To auoyde that none..that had offended the lawes should be receyued into any of theyr dominions.

1600 P. Holland tr. Livy Rom. Hist. x. xv. 361 He avoided App. Claudius to be his companion in government.

1853 F. W. Newman tr. Horace Odes 185 Horace..in praising the emperor and congratulating Marcellus, avoids to make either seem his main subject.

However, personally, I wouldn't object in any way if someone wanted to use it - and I have heard it used.

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