The Internet also provides us with a cheap alternative to communicating with others.
这句中的to communicating with others是做什么成分?我把它理解为目的状语对吗?to coummunicating能否用不定式的形式即to coummunicate来代替呢
作定语,类似于the key to doing something的 to doing,不是目的状语,不能用to do来代替。