What Does “Permit Doing Something” Mean?
The phrase “permit doing something” is a common English verb pattern where the verb permit is followed by a gerund (verb + -ing). It means to officially or formally allow an action.
✅ The school permits eating in the classroom.
❌ The school permits to eat in the classroom. (Incorrect!)
❌ The school permits to eat in the classroom. (Incorrect!)
Grammar Rule
After the verb permit, we use a gerund (not an infinitive). This is similar to other verbs like allow, consider, and avoid.
- Correct: They don’t permit smoking here.
- Incorrect: They don’t permit to smoke here.
However, when there’s an object (a person), we use the structure: permit + someone + to do something.
- The manager permitted us to leave early.
- She won’t permit her children to watch that show.
Common Examples
The law permits carrying concealed weapons in this state.
Our company policy does not permit working remotely without approval.
Does your visa permit studying full-time?
Test Your Understanding
Which sentence is correct?