When to use 'of' and 'for'?

[mrats16]

Hi

I need some explanation on why the use of 'for' is correct in the sentence below.

"Dave is usually friendly but has the reputation for turning surly when provoked by people who do not share his opinions."

Why it is inappropriate to use 'of' (...the reputation of turning...) in the sentence above?

How do we know when to use 'for' and when to use 'of'?

Many thanks

Paul

[5jj]

The standard English forms are:

a reputation as + noun
a reputation for + verb (-ing form)

a reputation of + noun is also acceptable, but is less common.

We can also use of in such sentences as:

The reputation of a school can be destroyed by just one incompetent teacher.

[mrats16]

So these sentences are correct:

1 - "He has the desire for reuniting with his former wife."

2 - "The desire of reunification was very strong in both countries."

But why do I think that the use of 'of' is more appropriate in sentence 1 and the use of for is more appropriate for sentence 2?