[Grammar] What is the difference between "Available for" and "available to"?

[Aamir Tariq]

What is the difference between "Available for" and "available to"?

I have heard that "available to" is used for a person and "available for" is used for things.

There are many job opportunities that are available to youth.
or
Many job opportunities are available to youth.

Furniture is available for your office.

Secondly, I have also heard to we use "to" with available when we add an infinitive with available. And we use "for" when we are using a noun after available.

All/Every type of furniture is available to meet your office requirements.
All/Every type of furniture is available for your office.

Regards,
Aamir the Global Citizen

 

[Barb_D]

Re: What is the difference between "Available for" and "available to"?

I'm having a hard time finding a semantic difference. "For" requires a noun phrase afterwards.

 

[Aamir Tariq]

Re: What is the difference between "Available for" and "available to"?

I'm having a hard time finding a semantic difference.

What is the semantic difference?

"For" requires a noun phrase afterwards.

Kindly give a couple of examples with "For" having noun phrases afterwards.

 

[Barb_D]

Re: What is the difference between "Available for" and "available to"?

And we use "for" when we are using a noun after available.

All/Every type of furniture is available to meet your office requirements.
All/Every type of furniture is available for your office.

Regards,
Aamir the Global Citizen

You said the same thing yourself.

 

[Matthew Wai]

Re: What is the difference between "Available for" and "available to"?

What is the semantic difference?

I think she was suggesting there was hardly a semantic difference.

 

[Aamir Tariq]

Re: What is the difference between "Available for" and "available to"?

But what is a semantic difference?

 

[jutfrank]

Re: What is the difference between "Available for" and "available to"?

It essentially comes down to the differences in use between the prepositions for and to. But in this case, with available, think of it like this:

• available for a purpose
  
• available to somebody (for a purpose)
  

Note that, as stated above, available may also precede a to-infinitive verb.