2

I thought "commit to" should be followed by "-ing", but the following article uses infinitive form of verb, as in the following sentence:

"Under its contract with Pfizer, the Trump administration committed to buy an initial 100 million doses, with an option to purchase as many as five times more."

Does this occasion have a reason for such use, or it's simply a typo?

user 66974
  • 67,349
ALife
  • 153
  • 2
    It's a legal usage. – John Lawler Dec 08 '20 at 18:20
  • A related question asked before (feel committed to gerund v infinitive but no satisfactory answer. – Edwin Ashworth Dec 08 '20 at 19:45
  • Under its contract with Pfizer, the Trump administration committed itself* to buy an initial 100 million doses* There is an omitted reflexive. to buy an initial 100 million doses is an infinitive NP, to buying an initial 100 million doses is a gerundive phrase, equivalent to a noun phrase. The infinitive implies the whole action as a unit - the gerund implies the process of the action from immediately after the start of the action to immediately before the end of the action. – Greybeard Dec 08 '20 at 20:12
  • @JohnLawler Yup, lots of legal usage here and here, and that's without even dragging out the OED, which has this citation: The second resolution..commits us to pay a share..of the sum of £15,000 asked for by the Imperial Government. – tchrist Dec 09 '20 at 00:12
  • @JohnLawler Thank you. – ALife Dec 09 '20 at 04:08

1 Answers1

2

Traditionally one commits to a person or thing. That is, one commits to a noun.

commit verb (PROMISE) C2 [ I or T ] to promise or give your loyalty, time, or money to a particular principle, person, or plan of action:

Like so many men, he has problems committing himself to a relationship.
The government must commit itself to improving healthcare. Once we have committed to this course of action there is no going back.

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/commit

A gerund acts as a noun equivalent, so we can say, "He commits to VERBing"

In its traditional form, we don't commit infinitive.

Answer

I see "commit to buy" as an error. However English is always evolving so it may become standard in the future.

EDIT

See the comments below. The phrase appears to be standard in the world of commerce.

chasly - supports Monica
  • 37,215