with the goal of understanding

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "with the goal of understanding" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when expressing the intention or purpose behind an action, particularly in academic or analytical contexts. Example: "The researchers conducted interviews with the goal of understanding the participants' experiences."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

A team of medical, nursing, social work and perhaps even law students will be assigned to a family, with the goal of understanding how factors like poverty and other stresses may complicate medical care.

The New York Times

Over nearly a decade, Pete Simi, at the University of Nebraska Omaha, and Robert Futrell, of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, interviewed eighty-nine white supremacists — skinheads, Klansmen, neo-Nazis — with the goal of understanding what the researchers call "strategies of calculated concealment and revelation".

The New Yorker

And he looked at me and said, 'I don't believe this is not sour.' " Spence and Michel plan to continue this line of investigation, with the goal of understanding how the brain integrates taste, smell, sight, and tactile sensations to create flavor experience.

The New Yorker

"If you're going to fly this mission with the goal of understanding the atmosphere and how dust might affect future human missions, and you don't have the future human missions, then part of the reason for the mission disappears," said David Kring, senior staff scientist at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, a NASA-financed research institute in Houston.

The New York Times

I've spent much of my career exploring that breadth of geology and doing lots of different things, all with the goal of understanding Earth history".

Science Magazine

This study attempts to simulate these vibrations, with the goal of understanding how the slider interacts with the surface waviness, to produce a given vibration.

Journal of Sound and Vibration

Various types of coagulation devices have been used to study aggregation, with the goal of understanding aggregation dynamics in natural and engineered systems.

Water Research

Contemporary patterns of genetic variation can be incorporated into theoretical models with the goal of understanding the evolutionary processes that led to these patterns.

Forest Ecology and Management

These sensors would be capable of real-time electrical communication with the goal of understanding how the brain processes and decodes spoken language — a brain process so complex and automatic that aspects of it still elude researchers.

TechCrunch

Olguin el al extended the use of the sociometer by introducing sociometric badges capable of sensing multiple types of features with the goal of understanding how patterns of human behavior shape individuals and organizations [16].

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

Other than the ecological research mentioned above, most green roof research is engineering- or horticulture-oriented with the goal of understanding performance and function under different conditions (Blank et al., 2013).

Ecological Processes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "with the goal of understanding", ensure that the sentence clearly states what is being understood. Be specific to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "with the goal of understanding" in simple sentences where a more direct verb like "to understand" would suffice. Overusing the phrase can make your writing sound verbose.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "with the goal of understanding" functions as an adverbial phrase of purpose, modifying a verb by indicating the reason or intention behind the action. As Ludwig confirms, this phrase is common and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

49%

News & Media

25%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "with the goal of understanding" serves as a purpose connector, commonly used to introduce the intention behind an action, study, or analysis. According to Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in English, particularly in scientific, news, and business contexts. While highly versatile, one should avoid overuse in simple sentences where shorter alternatives might be more effective. The phrase signifies a clear communicative purpose—to explicitly state the objective of gaining insight or knowledge.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

aiming to comprehend

This alternative uses "aiming" instead of "with the goal", suggesting a direct intent to comprehend.

intending to understand

Replaces "with the goal of" with "intending to", focusing on the intention behind the action.

seeking to understand

Uses "seeking" to convey an active effort to gain understanding.

striving for understanding

Emphasizes the effort involved in achieving understanding.

in pursuit of understanding

This alternative suggests a determined chase for understanding.

for the purpose of understanding

Replaces "with the goal of" with "for the purpose of", indicating the reason for an action.

with the objective of understanding

Substitutes "goal" with "objective", offering a slightly more formal tone.

motivated by a desire to understand

Highlights the internal motivation to achieve understanding.

driven by the need to understand

Emphasizes the urgency and necessity of understanding.

aspiring to understand

Indicates a hope or ambition to achieve understanding.

FAQs

What are some alternatives to "with the goal of understanding"?

You can use alternatives like "aiming to comprehend", "intending to understand", or "seeking to understand" to vary your writing.

How can I use "with the goal of understanding" in a sentence?

Use "with the goal of understanding" to introduce the purpose or aim behind an action or study. For example, "The researchers conducted interviews with the goal of understanding the participants' experiences."

Is it better to use "with the aim of understanding" or "with the goal of understanding"?

Both "with the aim of understanding" and "with the goal of understanding" are grammatically correct and have similar meanings. The choice depends on personal preference and the context of your writing.

When is it appropriate to use "with the goal of understanding" in formal writing?

It is appropriate in formal writing when you need to clearly state the intention behind an action or analysis, especially in academic or professional contexts. However, ensure it doesn't make the sentence unnecessarily lengthy.