"critical to" or "critical for"

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Please help interprete and differentiate the meanings the following:

  1. Business ties encourage the supply of inputs critical to economic growth
  2. Business ties encourage the supply of inputs critical for economic growth
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2

I prefer “critical in”.

3

but even if one uses “critical in”, “critical to”, or “critical for”, what the differences in meaning?

4

Well in my opinion i think they all(including in)mean basically the same thing so its not so much a question of meaning but rather which sounds more appropriate/professional.

Thats why I say I “prefer” in. In other words thats my choice of three possibles.

5

still confused for the following reasons:

  1. I take “important to” to mean valued (like "valued in the area of economic growth)
  2. I take “important for” to mean an instrument for making something happen (like for achieving economic growth)

Please correct me

6

Vitamins are essential for maintaining Healthy teeth
Vitamins are essential in maintaining Healthy teeth
Vitamins are essential to maintain Healthy teeth

All three of these are acceptable and mean the same - the only difference was with “to” we used maintain(instead of maintaining) to correct its grammar.

7

While I preciate your contributions, I am still confused because your examples do not deal with my concern.

For example, “critical to” comes before a “noun” in the following:

  1. Business ties encourage the supply of inputs critical to economic growth

I believe (1) above is subtlely different from (2) below

  1. Business ties encourage the supply of inputs critical for economic growth

Alan has made some clarification about important to and important for (english-test.net/forum/ftopic21468.html), but the examples used are not similar to (1) and (2).

8

But you are unable to explain why.

Could it be because they both mean the same thing? English like all language is not an exact science - If you were learning German and asked me why a boiled sausage is female yet a fried sausage is male I would have to say there is no simple logical answer. You just have to learn it as you go along.

9

for example, based on Alan’s contribution, I will assume that “critical to” implies inputs valued as indispensable in the process of economic growth, while “critical to” implies inputs beneficial but not indispensable to economic growth.

10

I think you are repeating yourself

for, to, is etc don’t have any meaning - at least not in the context I have seen so far I am therefore unable to see how they would change the meaning of the sentence.

Have you been discussing this on another forum or with an associate?

11

thank you for your contributions

12

thank you for your contributions

13

Let’s replace “to” with “toward” (since it has a more similar meaning than “for”).
That should tell anyone that “to” and “for” used in these expressions render a different meaning

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