In this sentence, would you use "to inform" or "for informing"?
These findings are critical ______ future research
Likewise, would you use "to understand" or "for understanding" in the following?
These results provide a powerful framework _____ existing patterns.
This is a question that comes up a lot in science writing: when do you use the "to" vs. the "for" version of a verb? Is there a word for these two different uses?
And is there a rule for deciding which one is correct? They often get used interchangeably, but I can't find any hard rules for deciding between the two.
People often use the "to" version because it sounds less passive, but I find it more ambiguous and a bit clunky, but I can't find any actual sources to say which is correct.