What is the difference between this two grammar points in this two following examples?
電車に間に合うために家を早く出る.
電車が間に合えるように家を早く出る.
Thanks!
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I remember one of my teachers saying something about this. It was a long time ago so I might be wrong but from what I remember, if you are using a potential form verb, it will always be ように and if you’re using a regular verb it will always be ために - the meanings are basically the same.
It was a long time ago so I can’t be certain. In your example sentences, the meaning is the same but the it’s a slightly different way of explaining. In English, your second sentence would simply be a potential sentence instead of a standard one.
I’ll leave the house early to be on time for the train.
I’ll leave the house early so I can be on time for the train.
Hopefully I’m right with this as it’s the way I’ve always remembered it:
するために
できるように
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Hey guys 
In AようにB (coming soon) case, A expresses an outcome that is desired but is beyond the will of the speaker (lacks control over it), that’s why it’s used mostly with the potential form, stative verbs and negative verbs.
AためにB A expresses purpose, and is an action of some sort.
If the verb before ように is a stative verb (verb expressing state) then you don’t really need the potential form.
I would say:
電車に間に合うように家を早く出る.
Another example:
失火の場合に家の中で火が燃え広がらないように、消火器を買いました。
I bought a fire extinguisher so that the fire won’t spread in the house in case of fire.
@matt_in_mito
ため means not only “in order to” but also “because” (and “for the sake of”) and in that meaning is from time to time used with a potential form 
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Thanks for the really great explanation. Since you said ため has the meaning of “in order to”, wouldn’t it mean the same as のに？
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@matt_in_mito @jinhuit95
Forgot to add, if there is a verb that expresses something that is beyond the control of the speaker before ため、then it means “because” rather than “in order to”.
This is one way to distinguish those two uses.
Yes, they both express purpose, but there is small but.
ために is a wider expression, so it can be rephrased to のに mostly when you use something (a tool etc) to achieve a goal.
So you can always rephrase のに to ために, but not always the other way around.
Like 文法を学ぶためにBUNPROを使っています。
->
文法を学ぶのにBUNPROを使っています。
ご飯を食べるために箸が必要だ。->
ご飯を食べるのに箸が必要だ。
So its mostly used with words expressing using something or being useful/helpful/needed for something.
Basically, のに emphasizes the importance of means.
By the way,
If you want to emphasize のに with は、then you can drop の. That way you can just use には。
But remember, you can add は to emphasize all kinds of に like for example receiver when using あげる etc. So try to not confuse them with には in order to.
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I think I understand that. Yes of course when ため has the ‘because’ meaning, the context is totally different, but for the ‘in order to meaning,’ that would always be a standard sentence right?
This was explained to me a long time ago and I was probably at more of a beginner level at that time so I can’t remember properly and my teacher probably explained it in simple terms for a beginner.
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I think it was good explanation
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Good topic! @mrnoone explained it best. IMO, ために＋ように are tricky as the translation does seem to overlap a bit and popping up everywhere with new grammar points! 日本語総まとめN3 helped me with not only a “in order to” for ため but also “To mean ‘to aim for’” meaning which helped me divide these instances. I originally connected ように with a “for” type of connotation but “so that” seemed to fit better when I read more translations.
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The number of ようにs in Japanese is ridiculous. Just when you think you’ve learned them all another pops up…
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