This allows to . . .

Question

I'm writing a PhD dissertation in Physics in the United States. I would say I'm fluent in English, but it's not my first language.
Recently, I sent a draft of my dissertation to my adviser, and there was one recurring sentence structure that he fixed every time. Here's a pretty characteristic example. I've simplified the example to reduce the number of clauses and jargon words.

A number of constraints is applied to the likelihood function. This allows to obtain pulls on the nuisance parameters.

I've emphasized the part that he corrected, in most cases to a gerund, as in "This allows obtaining".
What is special about this construction in English that precludes the use of an infinitive?

General Poxter · Answer

There is nothing particularly special about this construction. It is what it is.
In English, whether to use a gerund or an infinitive depends on the verb, and there does not seem to be a set rule. It just becomes a habit.
A general trend however is that gerunds are used more often than infinitives, and infinitives tend to be used to express abstract or potential ideas.
For example, you would use an infinitive for "I want to obtain" or "I need to obtain" while you would use a gerund for "I like obtaining" or "I enjoy obtaining".

Lawrence · Answer

It sounds awkward because “allows” carries the idea of granting permission, but you haven’t specified who you are granting that permission to. Compare:

This allows (?) to work.
This allows one to work.
I am allowed to work.

When you change the infinitive to a participle/gerund, the sense changes subtly from ‘granting permission’ to ‘enabling a function’. It can still feel slightly awkward at times, and can be improved by going all the way to using the noun form in place of the participle. Compare:

This allows Fred to enter.
This allows (his) entering.
This allows entry.

This allows to . . .

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