Keen on vs. keen to

[Nicole]

Hi, I think at school I was taught this construction:

keen on + gerund

So, for example, I would write or say:

I'm keen on improving my English.
She is keen on making new friends.

Lately, I have often heard and seen this construction:

keen to + infinitive

For example, on CNN I heard this phrase:

Companies are keen to show their latest products at CEBIT.

Does this mean that both constructions are correct? Is there a difference between them?

Thank you all, my English language friends .
Nicole
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Life is for living.

[Alan]

Hi Nicole,

Yes, there is a difference in emphasis. It might first be worth looking at the use of keen on used with a noun. If you are keen on a person, it simply means that you like them a lot and the same with things/activities as in keen on politics/sport/chess and so on. But back to your question: keen on doing something means that you like doing it. Charlie is keen on swimming and goes to the pool every day. Keen to do something means you are eager or enthusiastic about an activity and want to start doing it. Charlie has just started his new job and is keen to show he wants to make progress. This is in line with your example: