Grammar-Quizzes › Verb Phrases › Verb Complements › Infinitives › "In Order" + Infinitive
IN ORDER + INFINITIVE | ||
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Purpose can be expressed with the prepositional phrase in order folllowed by an infinitive clause or that + a clause (almost always with a modal may or might). The prepositional phrase in order is often omitted in informal speech. |
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SUBJ + PRED | ADJUNCT | |
NP + V | PP | INFIN / THAT CLS |
The doctor operated |
in order |
to save his patient's life. that he might save his patient's life. |
A patient stays |
in order |
to get medical care. that s/he might get medical care. |
A nurse visits |
in order |
to check on a patient. that s/he might check on a patient. |
SO + THAT–CLAUSE | ||
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Purpose can be expressed with the preposition so folllowed by that + a clause (almost always with a modal can, will or may). Informally, that is omitted. (Do not place a comma before so because it changes the meaning to "result".) |
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SUBJ + PRED | ADJUNCT | |
NP + V | PP | THAT–CLAUSE |
The doctor operated |
so |
(that) he could save his patient's life. |
A patient stays |
so |
(that) s/he can get medical care. |
A nurse visits |
so |
(that) s/he can check on a patient. |
Advanced note: (1) in traditional grammar, "to" is part of the infinitive verb form; however, in linguistic description, "to" is a subordinator related to the entire clause not just the verb (which is base form). (2) In current linguistic description, a preposition can be complemented by a wide variety of structures. Prep Complements.
Word Categories: N – Noun; V – Verb; Aux – Auxiliary; Adj – Adjective; Adv – Adverb; P –Preposition; Det –Determiner. See Word Categories.
Phrasal Categories: NP – Noun Phrase; VP – Verb Phrase; AdjP – Adjective Phrase; AdvP – Adverb Phrase; PP – Prepositional Phrase; DP – Determinative Phrase.
Clausal Categories: Cls – clause; F – finite clause; NF – nonfinite clause: Ger – gerund; Inf – infinitive; PPart – past participle.
Word Functions: Subj – subject; Pred – predicate/predicator; Comp – complement: elements required by an expression to complete its meaning (DO – direct object; IO – indirect object); Adjunct – adjunct: elements not required by an expression to complete its meaning (Subord – subordinator; Coord – coordinator); Supl – supplement: a clause or phrase added onto a clause that is not closely related to the central thought or structure of the main clause.
(Azar 15-1, 19-5) (Huddleston 8 §12.2) (Swan 543)
Related page: Showing Cause & Effect vs. Purpose
EMPHASIS PLACEMENT |
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To practice typing, I often go to the computer lab. |
To find information, I always go the library lab. |
To get an answer to a difficult problem, I ask my professor. |
NORMAL PLACEMENT |
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I often go to the computer lab to practice typing. |
I always go the library lab to find information. |
I ask my professor to get an answer to a difficult problem. |
Advanced
PURPOSE | |
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When we express purpose, the infinitive is usually followed by a noun or a noun phrase. The actions in the main clause and the infinitive clause occur in the same time frame. Optionally include in order before the infinitive. |
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MAIN CLAUSE | INFINITIVE + NP |
Steve enters his office |
to find his co-workers. |
A man walks into a bar |
to get a drink. |
The scientist returned to his lab |
to discover a cure for cancer. |
The police roped off the area |
to find a bag which might contain a bomb. |
We went to the station. |
to catch the train. |
The European Union worked out a deal |
to help Greece's recovery. |
DISCOVERY ¹ | |
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When we report an unexpected experience, the infinitive includes to see, to hear, to smell, to find, or to discover followed by a clause (finite or nonfinite) with information about the surprising experience. The actions in the main clause and the infinitive clause occur in different time frames. |
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MAIN CLAUSE | INFINITIVE + CLAUSE |
Steve enters his office |
to find his co-workers talking about him. |
A man walks into a bar |
to see a nude woman sitting at the bar. He asks… (joke-telling) |
The scientist returned to his lab. |
to discover everyone had already left |
The police roped off the area |
only to find the bag contained an apple. |
We went to the station |
only to see the train leaving! (disappointment) |
The European Union worked out a deal |
only to hear the Prime Minister could not accept it. |
¹ This wording is particularly common in narration and joke telling.
rope off (V) – surround an area with rope, mark an area for no access
*The nonfinite infinitival clause is an adjunct clause which can be restated as "and unexpectedly saw / heard / smelled / found / discovered something happening."
Huddleston, Rodney and Geoffrey K. Pullum."Catenative complements, adjuncts, and coordinates: Adjuncts of result." A Student's Introduction to English Grammar, Cambridge UP, 2005, 1224.
ERROR |
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Why did you come here? I came here for getting a good education. I came here for to get a good education. I came here for get a good education. |
Why did you throw that bag of potato chips away? 'Cuz I'm on a diet. short answer – not a sentence So that I won't eat them. To get rid of it.
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SOLUTION |
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Why did you come here? I came here in order to get a good education. What is an education for? It's for opening your mind. Stating Function |
(I threw it away) because I'm on a diet. reason (I threw it away) so that I won't eat them. purpose (I threw it away) (in order) to get rid of it. purpose |
*Yellow highlighted words are examples of incorrect usage.
( ) – optional content
Also see Pop-Q "Purpose"
analyst (N) – a person who collects and interprets statistical data in order to advise others, researchers
be effective (N) – be successful, and working in the way that is intended
show a little skin (expression) – uncover some leg, arm, neck or breast
Feedback
#11 — be effective in is a verb + preposition used before a gerund Verb Phrs + Gerunds
#12, #14, #16, #19 — (in order) to is followed by an infinitive clause stating purpose (Why?) "in order to verb"
#13,# 20 — so that is followed by a clause stating purpose (Why?) "so that he could do X"
#15 — by verb+ing states a means of doing something (How?) By + Gerund "it did it by verb+ing"
#17, #18 — for verb+ing states the function of a tool or method (What's it for?)
For + Gerund "X is for verb+ing"