2015-08-21
391
Some common uses of the to-infinitive
16.12.1 'To/in order to/so as to' to express purpose [compare > 1.51.1]
We can use to, in order to or so as to to refer to purpose:
/ went to live in France to/in order to/so as to learn French
She was sent to England to/in order to/so as to be educated
Not to can be used to refer to alternatives:
/ went to France not to study French, but to study architecture We express 'negative purpose' with so as not to/in order not to:
I shut the door quietly, so as not to wake the baby When there is a change of subject we may use for + infinitive:
/ bought a second car (in order) for my son to learn to drive For + noun/pronoun + infinitive is more economical than [> 1.51.2]:
/ bought a new car in order that my wife might learn to drive Other verbs, e.g. bring, buy, need, take, use, want, often introduce an object + to-infinitive (but not an object + in order to/so as to). The infinitive tells us about the purpose of the object, which is often an indefinite pronoun like something [> 4.37]:
/ want something to cheer me up
I need a spoon to eat this ice-cream with
Bring me a chair to sit on I brought a chair for you to sit on
Other verbs can be followed by for + object + to-infinitive, e.g. apply arrange ask, call, plan plead, phone, pray, ring, send, vote, wait wish. For marks the subject of the infinitive:
How long have you been waiting for the train to arrive?
16.12.2 '(Only) to': sequences [compare > 7.55.1]
Sometimes a to-infinitive in the second part of a sentence is used for
the 'later' event in a sequence. The to-infinitive (which can be
replaced by and + verb) describes an event which is unexpected,
sometimes unwelcome - especially when only is used in front of to:
We came home after our holiday to find our garden neat and tidy. (= and found)
He returned after the war, (only) to be told that his wife had left him (= and was told) A similar construction occurs with never: She left home never to return/never to be seen again
16 The infinitive and the '-ing' form
