UNIT III: FUNCTIONS

INFINITE OF PURPOSE/CLAUSES OF PURPOSE:

We can express the infinitive of purpose by:

To+infintive: I gave English lessons to earn some extra money.

In order to+infintive: I gave English lessons in order to earn some extra money.

So as to+infinitive: The Athletics Federation has introduced stricter regulations so as to prevent cheating.

Here are other forms where either a noun or verb+ing are used:

For+ noun: We used the basement for storage.

For+v+ing: The red button is for turning the machine off.

The negative is also used: in order not to+infinitive/so as not+infinitive:

Examples: *In Tehran the wives of foreign diplomats wore headscarves so as not to offend the Iranians. p. 1416 Mac Millan English Dictionary.

*We walked in quietly in order not to wake up the children.

Clauses of purpose:

So that + can/will – used for a present or future reference: Here’s my number so that you can call me if you have a problem.

So that +could/would – used for a past reference: We left early so that we would be able to park close to the stadium.

Purpose clauses can also be formed by so that/in order that+ “may”/“shall” in the present and “might”/“should” in the past.

Note that so that can be followed by will/can/may/shall or the past forms, while in order that are limited to may/shall or the past forms.

Examples: *These men risk their lives so that/in order that we may live more safely.

*We carved their names on the stone so that/in order that future generations should/might know what they had done.

Remember that most of these expressions are used to answer the question “why?” In what concerns for+noun or -ing form the question is “What for?” which means “why?”

Mr ZEGGAI MIMOUN www.tkt2e.com