looking forward to be

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "looking forward to be" is not correct in written English.
The correct form is "looking forward to being." Example: "I am looking forward to being part of the team."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

16 human-written examples

"I'm not looking forward to be in that room.

The New York Times

I'm looking forward to be able to do that now".

The Guardian

It will be very nice, and I'm really looking forward to be there".

The New York Times

Everything didn't work out as I planned, but I am looking forward to be around awhile".

The New York Times - Sports

In addition, we are also looking forward to be taught for any other animal!

BBC

"Aberdeen is a massive club and I'm really looking forward to be back playing in Scotland," he said.

BBC

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

I am looking forward to being 80.

The New York Times

Are you looking forward to being 30?

The Guardian

"Am I looking forward to being older?

The Guardian - Film

I'm looking forward to being a part of it.

Cornell University

"I'm looking forward to being a better person".

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "being" after "looking forward to". The correct phrase is "looking forward to being" followed by a noun or gerund (verb ending in -ing).

Common error

The word "to" in "looking forward to" is a preposition, not part of an infinitive. This means it should be followed by a noun or a gerund (verb ending in -ing), not the base form of a verb. Avoid saying "looking forward to be"; instead, use "looking forward to being".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "looking forward to be" is intended to express anticipation or excitement about a future event. However, it's grammatically incorrect. According to Ludwig AI, the correct form is "looking forward to being".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Science

32%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "looking forward to be" appears in various sources, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "looking forward to being". Ludwig AI highlights this error. The intention behind the phrase is to express anticipation or excitement, but the incorrect grammar undermines its effectiveness. It's best to use the correct form or explore alternatives such as "eager to" or "excited about" to ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy. The register is generally neutral, but correcting the grammar enhances professionalism. It is important to note that although this mistake can be frequent, it is still considered an error.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Looking forward to being

Corrects the grammatical error in the original phrase.

Excited about

Shifts the focus to the emotion of excitement rather than the forward-looking aspect.

Eagerly awaiting

Similar meaning, but with a heightened sense of enthusiasm.

Cannot wait for

Emphasizes impatience and strong desire.

Anticipate with pleasure

More formal and emphasizes the positive expectation.

Awaiting eagerly

Highlights the anticipation and eagerness.

Anticipating

Focuses solely on the act of expecting something, omitting the expression of pleasure.

Anxious for

Highlights the anxiety and anticipation, can be negative or positive.

With anticipation

A more succinct expression focusing on the feeling of anticipation.

I await

A formal way to express anticipation.

FAQs

How to correct the phrase "looking forward to be"?

The correct form is "looking forward to being". The "to" in this phrase is a preposition and requires a gerund (verb ending in -ing) after it.

What can I say instead of "looking forward to be"?

While "looking forward to be" is grammatically incorrect, you can use alternatives like "looking forward to being", "eager to", or "excited about depending on the context".

Which is correct, "looking forward to be" or "looking forward to being"?

"Looking forward to being" is the correct phrase. The "to" in this phrase functions as a preposition, thus requiring a gerund (a verb form ending in '-ing') after it.

Is "looking forward to be" ever correct?

No, "looking forward to be" is not grammatically correct in standard English. The correct form is always "looking forward to being".