[Grammar] It allows for

In writing about the benefits of walking, is my sentence below correct?

Since we can walk alone, in pairs, or in groups, it allows for lots of flexibility.

I'm learning to use allow for. Have I used it wrongly?

Thank you.

You've used it correctly. As a stand-alone sentence, you'd need something like "Since walking can be done alone ..." since otherwise you have no referent for 'it'.

Oceanlike said:

I'm learning to use "allow for". Have I used it wrongly?

Click to expand...

Always mark text you are writing about by surrounding it in quotation marks or setting it in italics.

I am wondering when do we need to use "for" after allow and when can we omit it?

For example, "This gadget is useful as it allows much flexibility." Or should it be written as "This gadget is useful for it allows for much flexibility."

I'm unsure when to include or omit.

Thank you.

Oceanlike said:

I am wondering when do we need to use "for" after allow and when can we omit it?

For example, "This gadget is useful as it allows much flexibility." Or should it be written as "This gadget is useful for it allows for much flexibility."

I'm unsure when to include or omit.

Thank you.

Click to expand...

Both ways are acceptable. In one case "flexibility" is a noun used as the object of the sentence. In the other case, "flexibility" is a noun in a preposition phrase modifying "allows".

However, I would not use "much" by itself. "More" is a better choice. However, you could combine these words and say "much more"

"This gadget is useful as it allows much more flexibility."
"This gadget is useful as it allows for much more flexibility."

In these sentences, you are comparing "this gadget" to other gadgets that may also be flexible.