Quick answer: Avoid means to stay away from something or choose not to do something: She avoids eating sugar. Prevent means to stop something from happening — often by an active intervention: The vaccine prevents infection. Key grammar: avoid + -ing; prevent + object + from + -ing. For a fuller definition, see the Cambridge Dictionary entry for ‘avoid’.
Comparison Table
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| avoid | verb | stay away from; choose not to do | He avoids spicy food. |
| prevent | verb | stop something from happening (active intervention) | Sunscreen prevents sunburn. |
Using Avoid
Avoid means to keep away from something or deliberately not do something. The key grammar pattern is avoid + gerund (-ing form). You cannot say “avoid to do” — it must be “avoid doing.”
She avoids eating processed food.
Try to avoid making the same mistake twice.
He avoided answering the question.
Avoid looking directly at the sun.
Avoid + Noun
Avoid can also be followed directly by a noun or pronoun:
Avoid eye contact if you feel uncomfortable.
She tried to avoid him at the party.
Avoid the main road — there’s heavy traffic.
Using Prevent
Prevent means to stop something from happening, usually through an active measure or intervention. The most common grammar patterns are: prevent + noun/gerund, or prevent + object + from + -ing.
Regular exercise helps prevent heart disease.
Nothing could prevent the accident.
Wearing a seatbelt prevents injuries.
The police prevented the crowd from entering.
Prevent + Object + From + -ing
This is the most precise structure: someone/something prevents an object from doing something.
The fence prevented the children from falling.
The medication prevented him from sleeping well.
What prevented you from calling earlier?
Common Mistakes
✗ She avoids to eat sugar.
✓ She avoids eating sugar.
Note: avoid must be followed by -ing (gerund), never by “to + infinitive.”
✗ The vaccine avoids the disease from spreading.
✓ The vaccine prevents the disease from spreading.
Note: when something actively stops an external event, use prevent — not avoid.
✗ The guard prevented him entering.
✓ The guard prevented him from entering.
Note: the full structure is prevent + object + from + -ing. Omitting “from” is non-standard in formal writing.
Also confusing: Deny vs Refuse, Keep vs Stay, Accept vs Except. Browse all confusing word pairs →
Quick Check: Avoid or Prevent?
Four questions — choose the correct word for each sentence.
1. “She ___ eating late at night.”
2. “The wall ___ the water from flooding the basement.”
3. “He ___ making eye contact when nervous.”
4. “Washing your hands ___ the spread of germs.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between avoid and prevent?
Avoid means to stay away from something or choose not to do it: “She avoids crowded places.” Prevent means to actively stop something from happening: “The vaccine prevents the disease.”
What grammar follows avoid?
Avoid is followed by a gerund (-ing form): “avoid doing,” “avoid eating,” “avoid making.” Never use “avoid to do” — this is a common error.
What grammar follows prevent?
Prevent can be followed by a noun (“prevent accidents”), a gerund (“prevent flooding”), or the structure prevent + object + from + -ing: “prevent him from leaving.”
Can avoid be followed by a noun?
Yes. You can avoid a person, place, or thing: “She avoided him all day.” / “Avoid the motorway during rush hour.”
What is the difference between avoid and evade?
Avoid means to stay away from something deliberately. Evade implies cunning or trickery to escape something: “He evaded the question” (cleverly dodged it). Avoid is neutral; evade has a connotation of deception.
Can prevent be used without an object?
In most uses, prevent takes an object: “prevent accidents,” “prevent the disease from spreading.” Without an object it sounds incomplete, though in context it can work: “We need to prevent this.”
What is the difference between prevent and stop?
Stop and prevent are similar. Stop is more immediate and can refer to ongoing actions: “Stop the car!” Prevent focuses on stopping something before it starts: “The vaccine prevents infection.” You can also say “stop someone from doing something” (like prevent).
Is it “prevent from doing” or “prevent doing”?
The full formal structure is “prevent + object + from + -ing”: “prevent him from leaving.” In informal English, “from” is sometimes dropped (“prevent him leaving”), but the full structure is safer in writing.
Can avoid and prevent be used in the same sentence?
Yes: “She avoided sugar to prevent health problems.” Here avoid = she chose not to eat it; prevent = the goal was to stop health problems from occurring.
How do avoid and prevent appear in IELTS writing?
Both are common in IELTS Task 2. Avoid is used for personal choices: “People should avoid processed foods.” Prevent is used for systemic or causal interventions: “Governments can prevent obesity by improving nutrition education.” Using the correct structure (avoid -ing / prevent from -ing) is essential for a high grammar score.