In Lesson 27, we learned a negative request form that uses Vないで下さい ("Please don't V"). The plain negative verb + で structure has a different usage meaning "without V-ing."

Compare the following.

	わえいじしょを使わないで、日本語の新聞が読めます。	I can read Japanese newspapers without using a J-E dictionary.
	わえいじしょを使わなくても、日本語の新聞が読めます。	Even if I don't use a J-E dictionary, I can read Japanese newspapers.

In the Vて + おく expression ("V in advance"), the Vないで form is grammatical, but Vなくて is not.

	教育ママにならないでおこうと思っていたのに…	I was thinking that I would stay as I was without becoming an education mama.
	教育ママにならなくておこうと思っていたのに…	[ungrammatical]

The verb stem (Vます without ます) + 方 structure expresses a "how to V" or a "way of V-ing."

Note the usual object/subject/direction markers を/が/に is replaced by の in this structure. With particles で and へ or まで, の is inserted after the particle instead of replacing it. Note also that にの sequence is ungrammatical.

はし	を	使う		はし	の	使い方	how to use chopsticks
手紙	を	書く		手紙	の	書き方	how to write letters
映画	を	見る		映画	の	見方	how to watch movies
しょうせつ	を	読む		しょうせつ	の	読み方	how to read novels
田中さん	が	食べる		田中さん	の	食べ方	how Mr. Tanaka eats
先生	に	なる		先生	の	なり方	how to become a teacher
先生	と	話す		先生	との	話し方	how to speak with a teacher
先生	に	言う		先生	にの	言い方	[ungrammatical]
先生	へ	言う		先生	への	言い方	how to speak to a teacher
えき	へ まで	行く		えき	への までの	行き方	how to get to the station
えき	に	行く		えき	にの	行き方	[ungrammatical]
デパート	で	買う		デパート	での	買い方	how to buy at the dept. store

しかたがない is an idiomatic expression that uses V-stem + 方. This literally means "there is no way of doing," and it is used to express a sense of resignation ("It can't be helped").

A:	いくらだめって言っても、食べたがってこまるんですよ。	No matter how many times I told them "No," they kept wanting to eat it---so annoying.
B:	しかたがありませんよ。あいては子供ですから。	Nothing can be done about it. They are kids.

The word ため is used to refer to a purpose. ため cannot be used as a stand-alone noun and is required to have a modifier in front of it. The particle に can be optionally inserted. To expresses a purpose, the preceding sentence must be non-past as noted by below even if the overall statement is in the past tense.

S	ため（に）
日本語を勉強(べんきょう)する	ため（に）	日本にりゅうがくしました。	I went to Japan in order to study Japanese.
日本語を勉強した	ため（に）	日本にりゅうがくしました。	[ungrammatical]

If a noun precedes it, の is required.