recommend + infinitive or gerund?

[Garbuz]

Can't decide which is better:

I recommend the work being started at once.

or

I recommend the work to be started at once.

Would appreciate your help.

 

[Copyright]

I recommending starting the work at once. Or your #1.

 

[MJSinLondon]

I recommending starting the work at once. Or your #1.

Copyright - I'm afraid this is not correct! I think you probably mean " I recommend starting the work at once".

But what I would be much more likely to say or write would be "I think we/he/she/you should start the work at once".

 

[Bigote Blanco]

Here are few other options:

I recommend that the work be started at once.

I am recommending that the work be started at once.

It is my recommendation that the work be started at once.

I would recommend that the work be started at once.

 

[Copyright]

Copyright - I'm afraid this is not correct! I think you probably mean " I recommend starting the work at once".

But what I would be much more likely to say or write would be "I think we/he/she/you should start the work at once".

You're quite right about my mistake. My apologies.

As for your alternatives, they're fine, but I got the impression you wanted "recommend" in the sentence.

 

[Ilyana]

So, is the infinitive forbidden with "recommend"?

I have some examples which I try to define as possible or incorrect:

I recommend you to clean the room.
I recommend you (your?) cleaning the room.
I recommend to clean the room. (in the meaning of "I recommend that we should clean the room")
I recommend cleaning the room.

I know that we can use subjunctive with the verb "recommend", but the infinitive/gerund usage is not yet clear to me...

Thanks in advance)

 

[aprendiendo argento]

I recommend you clean the room (without to).

 

[Embonpoint]

To generalize here a bit, with the verb recommend you cannot use the infinitive but you can use either the gerund or the the conjugated form. You can also use the word that or leave it out:

I recommend you clean the room.
I recommend that you clean the room.
I recommend cleaning the room immediately!

If you want to use the infinitive ie. to clean you need to use another verb:

I would like you to clean the room.
I am asking you to clean the room.
I am begging you to clean the room.

I also saw Ilyana's question asking for more details on using the gerund. It is correct to use the gerund after recommend. However your sentence loses some power because you don't specifically say who is doing the action ie. the cleaning. I would tend to use the gerund particularly when specifying additional details of how it should be done. In this case my emphasis is on how it should be done and it doesn't matter that I'm being vague about who is doing the action.

I recommend cleaning the room extremely thoroughly! (Also fine to say: I recommend you clean the room extremely thoroughly.)
I recommend doing exactly as he says! (Also fine: I recommend you do exactly as he says.)

 

[Ilyana]

Thank you! It's most helpful!

 

[SleepyMutt]

Is this wrong?
I recommend cleaning the room to him.