with the intention of explaining

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "with the intention of explaining" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to indicate that the purpose of an action is to provide clarification or understanding. Example: "She wrote the report with the intention of explaining the complex issues surrounding the project."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Farley and Murphy (1997) studied sockeye salmon stocks in Alaska and northern British Columbia with the intention of explaining the trending behavior of the sockeye salmon catch.

Agricultural and Food Economics

Cross-national comparative research involves "comparisons of political and economic systems …and social structures" [ 29] (p93) where "one or more units in two or more societies, cultures or countries are compared in respect of the same concepts and concerning the systematic analysis of phenomena, usually with the intention of explaining them and generalising from them" [ 30] (p1 2).

BMC Psychiatry

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The model was also formulated with the intention of reproducing and explaining the observed cell-to-cell variability.

Autophagy

What "convey" means precisely is a matter of considerable debate that we can ignore here.[41] We most commonly explain why people do one thing A with the intention of something something else B by explaining why they believe they will do B by doing A, or why they want to do B. We can explain why speakers intend to convey a thought by uttering a sentence that says something else in the same ways.

SEP

"Unfortunately, most legislation in the Arab world is done with the intention of control rather than regulation" explained Abdulla of the law's severity.

TechCrunch

When they were conjuring Alter into existence, Boi Boy and Hubbard chose the name for their project "with the intention of altering people's perceptions," they explain.

Vice

"I wanted to make a record that kind of communicated with people as directly as possible and put as much of my life in it with the intention of sharing it with everybody else," he explains.

Vice

"It was designed with the intention of making you feel small and insignificant," McKay explains.

The Guardian

These implications make sense if intention is a species of desire that interacts with means-end belief when one does A with the intention of doing B. They are more difficult to explain if intention-with-which is the basic material from which intention and intentional action are built.

SEP

"At the beginning of the election campaign we attended rallies with the intention of selling our pictures to newspapers," Santese and Valli explained via email.

Vice

Coach Lawson Robertson denied this, explaining the change was made with the intention of obtaining the best combination.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "with the intention of explaining" when you want to explicitly state the purpose behind an action, especially in formal writing or when clarity is paramount. It highlights the deliberate nature of providing an explanation.

Common error

Avoid using "with the intention of explaining" in casual conversation or informal writing. Simpler phrases like "to explain" or "to clarify" are often more appropriate and less cumbersome.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "with the intention of explaining" functions as an adverbial phrase of purpose. It modifies a verb, specifying the reason or objective behind the action. Ludwig shows it's used to clearly state the why behind an action or statement.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "with the intention of explaining" is a grammatically correct adverbial phrase used to explicitly state the purpose of clarifying or providing understanding. Ludwig AI confirms it is more common in formal and scientific contexts. While effective for emphasizing the deliberate nature of an explanation, it should be used judiciously and avoided in informal settings where simpler alternatives like "to explain" or "aiming to clarify" are more appropriate. The phrase's strength lies in its ability to underscore the intent behind the explanation, making it particularly useful in formal writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

with the aim of explaining

Substitutes "intention" with "aim", providing a synonym that maintains a similar level of formality.

in order to explain

A more direct and simplified way of expressing the intention to explain something.

intending to clarify

Replaces the prepositional phrase with a participial phrase for a more streamlined sentence structure.

aiming to clarify

This alternative uses a more concise verb phrase to express the intention of making something clear.

so as to clarify

Uses "so as to" to express the purpose of clarification.

with a view to clarifying

Uses "with a view to" as an alternative to "with the intention of", offering a slightly different phrasing.

seeking to explain

Emphasizes the active pursuit of providing an explanation.

designed to explain

Focuses on the design or purpose of something to provide an explanation.

for the purpose of elucidating

Replaces "intention" with "purpose" and "explaining" with the more formal "elucidating", increasing formality.

to shed light on

Uses a more metaphorical expression to convey the act of explaining or clarifying something.

FAQs

What does "with the intention of explaining" mean?

It means having the specific goal or purpose of clarifying something or providing an explanation for it. It emphasizes the deliberate act of making something understandable.

How can I use "with the intention of explaining" in a sentence?

You can use it to introduce the purpose behind an action or statement, for example: "The author included detailed examples "with the intention of explaining" the concept clearly."

Are there simpler alternatives to "with the intention of explaining"?

Yes, depending on the context, you can use phrases like "aiming to clarify", "in order to explain", or "intending to clarify". These options can be more concise and suitable for less formal settings.

What's the difference between "with the intention of explaining" and "to explain"?

"With the intention of explaining" is more emphatic and highlights the deliberate purpose, while "to explain" is a simpler and more direct way to express the reason for doing something. The former is often used in formal writing to underscore the purpose behind an action.