Grammar Practice in Context - David Bolton, Noel Goodey 1997

44 Purpose: to/in order to + infinitive So that/so + clause. So as not to + infinitive

Quick reference

• We use to + infinitive and in order to + infinitive to talk about the purpose of an action, where the subject of each part of the sentence is the same.

/went to London to buy some new clothes. (= I went/I bought)

She stopped in order to look at the map. (= She stopped/she looked.)

In order to + infinitive is more formal than to + infinitive.

• We use to + infinitive (not in order to) to talk about the purpose or use of a thing or person.

I'll buy a magazine to read on the train. I must find someone to help me.

• Note that the preposition stays with the verb. And when the verb has an object, the preposition comes after the object.

(He wants to talk to someone) He's looking for someone to talk to.

(I want to put my books in a bag.) Can I have a bag to put my books in?

• We use .so that or so (usually followed by can, can't, could, couldn't, will, won’t, would, wouldn ’t)

if there is a different subject in each part of the sentence, or if the purpose of an action is negative.

I'll phone my father so that (or so) he can come and pick us up. (I/he)

She hung her key round her neck, so that (or so) she wouldn't lose it.

• If the purpose is negative and the subject is the same in each part of the sentence, we can also use so as not to + infinitive. She hung her key round her neck, so as not to lose it.

1 Burglars broke into James Hart’s house three times last year. This year the cost of insuring the contents of his house was very high. James also needed a way of protecting his property, so he bought a dog. The insurance company said they would reduce the cost of his insurance if he bought an alarm system. So he bought one. The alarm system cost so much money that he had to sell some of the valuable things he owned. Now he can only get into the house by remembering a special alarm code. And he has to shut the dog in the kitchen, because it is the only way he can stop it activating the alarm!

Answer these questions, giving the purpose of the actions.

Example: Why did James have to pay a lot this year? To insure the contents of his house.

1 Why did James buy a dog?

2 Why did he buy an alarm system?

3 Why did he have to sell some of his valuable things?

4 Why does he need to remember a special alarm code?

5 Why does he shut the dog in the kitchen?

2 Melanie Wright has just moved to an isolated part of the country. She is lonely and unhappy. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first.

Example: 1 She wants to talk to someone. She wants someone to talk to.

2 She wants to go out with a friend. She wants a friend ...

3 Only her cat keeps her company. She’s only got her cat ...

4 She can’t spend her money anywhere. There’s nowhere ...

5 She wants to share her life with someone. She wants someone ...

3 Stewart Price does everything he can to save energy. Read the text and replace the words in brackets with a clause, using to + infinitive, in order to, so that/so or so as not to + infinitive.

(1 He wants to reduce his energy costs) ..., he has installed a solar heating system in his house. (2 He doesn't want to lose any heat) ... he has insulated the roof and the walls of his house. (3 He intends to keep fit) ..., he uses his bicycle a lot, and, when he travels long distances, he always uses public transport, (4 this means he can leave his car at home) ... .

He also advises his friends to stop using their cars, (5 by doing so they will reduce air pollution) ... .

(6 He intends to travel less) ..., he has asked his office manager if he can work at home. He has bought a computer (7 he wants to communicate) ... with his office by e-mail.

He thinks that world trade is a bad thing. He feels a lot of energy is wasted by importing and exporting goods. He checks the origin of all the things he buys (8 he wants to make sure) ... they were produced locally in Britain.

(9 He doesn’t intend to waste anything) ..., he doesn’t throw things away. He keeps all his vegetable waste (10 in this way it can be used on the garden) ... . When he goes shopping he always keeps the plastic bags (11 in this way they can be used again) ... He keeps all his waste paper in a big box (12 in this way he can take if) ... to the recycling factory at the end of every month.

He’s got his own web-site on the Internet and he uses it (13 hе wants to tell the world) ... about his ideas on energy-saving methods.

4 Violet Horn is an eccentric old lady of 80. Complete the sentences, using to, in order to, so that/so or so as not to. Sometimes there is more than one possible answer.

1 She puts salt on her strawberries ... they don’t taste too sweet.

2 She puts sugar on her tomatoes ... make them taste sweeter.

3 She reads by candlelight ... save electricity.

4 She talks politely to her plants ... hurt their feelings.

5 She never wears her best clothes ... spoil them.

6 She always empties the bags from her vacuum cleaner ... she can use them again.

5 Say why you do certain things. Write five sentences, using a) to + infinitive; b) in order to + infinitive; c) so that + clause; d) so + clause; e) so as not to + infinitive.

Examples: To save money I sometimes walk to work instead of taking the bus.

In winter I often wear socks in bed so that my feet don't get cold.

Check your answers with a teacher.