I would like to know the difference in meaning between to-infinitive and to-preposition.
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That will be the key to determine the profit outlook for bank
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We had found the key to determining a good workplace: ask the people who work there.
both sentences are from NY Times; i searched them on google.
to-infinitive and to-preposition, how do they differ in meaning?
How should I use them correctly?
Best Answer
The expression is "the key to + [noun]", so "determining" is correct. However, neither sentence is correct as is.
The first is wrong because the grammar is wrong. The first part of the quote on its own could mean, "That is the key (thing) to determine", where "that" is what needs to be determined, but then the rest of the sentence doesn't fit.
The second is wrong semantically because you cannot "determine a good workplace". You can determine what a good workplace is, and that's probably the intent here.