with an eye to

with an eye to — idiom

1. when doing one thing, you are also thinking about or aiming for a particular fut

1.慣用語B2
釋義

when doing one thing, you are also thinking about or aiming for a particular future result, so that your current actions are shaped by that goal.

例句

The city council redesigned the park with an eye to making it safer for children after dark.

with an eye to + gerund (making)

The architect planned every room with an eye to natural light and energy efficiency.

with an eye to + noun phrase (natural light)

同義詞
  • with a view to

    more common in British English; interchangeable in many contexts

  • with the aim of

    more direct; emphasises the goal rather than the awareness aspect

  • in order to

    followed by infinitive rather than gerund; neutral in register

反義詞

文法句型

with an eye to + gerund (doing something)

with an eye to + noun phrase

用法筆記

Frequently used in formal or professional contexts such as planning, policy-making, and business strategy. In informal conversation, alternatives like 'thinking about' or 'so that' are more common. The verb after 'to' must be a gerund (-ing form), never a bare infinitive.

常見錯誤

❌The manager hired extra staff with an eye for the holiday rush.
✅The manager hired extra staff with an eye to the holiday rush.
💡The correct preposition is 'to', not 'for'.
❌He bought the house with an eye to live closer to work.
✅He bought the house with an eye to living closer to work.
💡The verb after 'to' must be a gerund (-ing form), not a bare infinitive.