Mo2men wrote:
Dear Mike,
Happy new year and wish all the best in 2018
I have question about the word "solution", which means to solve a problem.
1- Which proposition is correct?
I proposed many solutions
for/to/of protecting endangered species.
2- If proposition '
to' is correct, should it be followed by NOUN or infinitive verb?
I googled the idiom but I became more confused.
Can you shed light about it?
Thanks in advance
Hi
Mo2men! Happy to help
The correct use in this case would be "solution to" -- we would want to say something like:
I proposed many solutions
to protect endangered species.
So "solution" should be followed by an infinitive verb - "to protect". But we could also talk about "the solution to a problem", so "solution" can also be followed by "to" + noun. It is actually typically quite rare to use "solution" + infinitive verb, because it usually doesn't make much sense to talk about a solution to an
action. Here, it would sound more natural to say something like:
I proposed many solutions
which could help protect endangered species.
I proposed many solutions
to the problem of species becoming endangered.
It doesn't make much sense to talk about "a solution to protect animals" - we talk about the solution to a problem, not the solution to "do something". So in almost every case where you see "solution to", it should just be followed by a regular noun (not a verb in gerund form).
I hope that helps clear things up!
-Carolyn