expresses prevention or evasion

to give advice or describe wariness

health concerns, risk management scenarios, social situations where caution is needed

everyday conversation, professional settings such as workplace safety meetings, formal writing

avoid doing

avoid doing

eating sugary snacks; talking about politics; making mistakes

• try to
• should
• strictly
• hard to

• refrain from
• steer clear of
• shun

using the infinitive form: *avoid to do instead of the correct gerund form

refrain from, keep away from, stay away from

learners often mistakenly use the infinitive after ‘avoid’ as in ‘I want to avoid to eat sugary snacks’, which is ungrammatical in English.

• refrain from
• keep from
• steer clear of
• shun

'avoid doing' conveys personal intention and self‑discipline, whereas 'prevent from doing' implies an external obstacle or authority stopping the action.

creates a cautious tone; can sound defensive when used assertively about social norms or safety regulations.

“I try to avoid making the same mistake.”

This chunk is semi-fixed and requires the gerund form of the verb after 'avoid'. It is commonly used to express caution, advice, or self-discipline in various contexts.

refrain from