go on to do vs go on doing — next stage vs continue (GiU Unit 56)

The frame

Ben joined the company nine years ago. He became assistant manager after two years, and a few years later he went on to become manager. ✓

Career progression = new stage → go on to do.

The split

	go on + to	go on + -ing
Meaning	proceed to the next thing	keep doing the same thing
Sequence	stage 1 → stage 2 → stage 3	continuous same activity
Example	He went on to become manager	He went on working until midnight

• ✗ went on becoming manager — you don’t “continue becoming”
• ✓ She went on to write three more books (after her first)
• ✓ She went on talking (kept talking, same action)

Test

Same action repeated/continued → -ing. Moved to a different next action → to.

Family: this is the same to-/-ing engine as stop/remember/regret/go on — to looks forward to the next act, -ing is the act itself.

Source

Raymond Murphy, English Grammar in Use, Unit 56 — Verb + -ing or to… 1. Ebot lesson 2026-09-05.