"be interested in" vs "be interested to"

Question

What's the difference between "interested in" and "interested to"?

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

"interested in" + v-ing or noun.

I am interested in receiving your proposal.
I am interested in opera.

"interested" + to-infinitive:
Most often the following verb is one of perception or knowing.

I'd be interested to find out more about your trip.
I'd be interested to hear / learn more about your trip.
I'd be interested to see your pictures.

Fivejedjon · Answer

AlpheccaStars"interested in" + v-ing or noun.I am interested in receiving your proposal.I am interested in opera."interested" + to-infinitive:Most often the following verb is one of perception or knowing.I'd be interested to find out more about your trip.I'd be interested to hear / learn more about your trip.I'd be interested to see your pictures.

My personal feeling is that the choice of preposition is more to do with what precedes the 'interested':

I am interested in receiving your proposal.
I would be interested to receive your proposal.

CalifJim · Answer

fivejedjonmore to do with what precedes the 'interested':

I'm not sure whether it's what's before or what's after that has more importance. It seems that both sides influence the choice. Certain tenses seem to demand 'interested in'; for example, the present doesn't seem to work well with 'interested to'. ???I'm not interested to watch TV tonight. ???I'm more interested to go to the theater.

And certain activities (hobbies are a good example) seem to demand 'interested in' no matter what the tense. I [am / would be / used to be] interested [to collect stamps / to read novels / to race cars] don't work (for me anyway).

Virtually the only combinations with 'interested to' that work for me are those with would be before interested and an ending that has to do with increasing knowledge in some way:

I would be interested to learn more about India.
Jack would probably be very interested to know what you just told me about his wife.
I think Jane would be interested to hear why you left the party without speaking to her.

Every case of 'interested to' that I've come across is equally good with 'interested in'. I think for this reason I rarely bother with 'interested to' in my own speech and writing.

CJ

Fivejedjon · Answer

CalifJimEvery case of 'interested to' that I've come across is equally good with 'interested in'. I think for this reason I rarely bother with 'interested to' in my own speech and writing.

I agree.

I remember that I noticed that I had used 'interested to' in a post in another forum a couple of years ago. Nobody commented on it, but I wasn't totally sure about it myself, so I asked what others thought. I can't remember all the responses now, but there appeared to be general agreement that 'in' was acceptable to most people most of the time, and 'to' to some people some of the time. Unfortunately, we couldn't agree on when 'to' was natural.

The lesson for learners appears to be: use 'in' + -ing form. You will probably not be accused of being wrong.

CalifJim · Answer

fivejedjonThe lesson for learners appears to be: use 'in' + -ing form.

CJ

"be interested in" vs "be interested to"

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