I know that usually the verb 'succeed ’ is followed by the preposition in + ing, but I’ve seen many times that it can be followed by the infinitive.Is the latter usage acceptable?
Here’s an examples using ‘succeed in’ (which is quite common):
‘If he keeps working hard he’s certain to succeed in his endeavors.’
I cannot think of an instance where ‘succeed to’ would be considered correct.
What do you think of these examples:
I succeed to do my homework.
I succeed to start a business.
If you use ‘succeed’ with a meaning similar to ‘follow’, then you can use ‘succeed to’ this way, for example:
- When the Queen dies, will Prince Charles succeed to the throne?
This is a reference to ‘succession’, and not to ‘success’.
There may also be times when the word ‘to’ directly follows the word ‘succeed’, but should not be parsed with it. Here is an example from COCA:
- Love is a rational exchange in which couples make deals based on their needs, and they succeed to the degree that they master the negotiation process.
The word ‘to’ above should be parsed as part of the phrase ‘to the degree (that)’, not parsed together with the verb ‘succeed’.
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[size=75]“To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence.” - Mark Twain[/size]
Got it. So my above examples were undoubtedly wrong , weren’t they?