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❖ Unit 3 ❖ Education ❖ Functions ❖

Expressing Purpose

To explain why someone does something, English uses several connectors: to, in order to, so as to, for, so that, in order that. Each has a slightly different structure.

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Five ways to express purpose

① to + infinitive (simplest)
action + to + verb
The students work hard to get good marks.
② in order to / so as to + infinitive (more formal)
action + in order to / so as to + verb
The students work hard in order to get good marks.
The students work hard so as to get good marks.

For negation: in order not to / so as not to

She runs every day so as not to gain weight.
③ for + noun OR for + V-ing
action + for + noun / V-ing
The students work hard for good marks. (+ noun)
This key is for opening the front door. (+ V-ing — function)
④ so that / in order that + subject + can / could / will / would
action + so that / in order that + subject + modal + verb
The students work hard so that they can get good marks.
She left early in order that she would not miss the train.

Use so that when the two subjects are different: "I'll explain it again so that you can understand."

⑤ for the purpose of + V-ing (very formal)
The new traffic code was introduced for the purpose of reducing accidents.
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Practice 1 — Choose the right linker

Complete with: so that, for, in order to, so as to
  1. Ahmed is saving some money in order to buy a new mobile.
  2. My friend went to America to finish his master's degree.
  3. I took a taxi so that I can't be late.
  4. They are running so as to catch the bus.
  5. The team trained hard so that they could win the match.
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Practice 2 — Rewrite the sentences

Use the word in brackets
  1. They invested a lot of money on education. They wanted to eradicate illiteracy. (so as to) → They invested a lot of money on education so as to eradicate illiteracy.
  2. Jamal pays attention in class. He wants to understand his lessons well. (so that) → Jamal pays attention in class so that he can understand his lessons well.
  3. The woman joined literacy classes. She wants to learn how to read and write. (for) → The woman joined literacy classes for learning how to read and write.
  4. Safae goes on diet. She doesn't want to be fat. (in order not to) → Safae goes on diet in order not to be fat.
  5. The teacher wants to explain the lessons well. So, he uses the projector. (to) → The teacher uses the projector to explain the lessons well.
  6. The policeman stopped the cars. He wanted children to cross the street. (so that) → The policeman stopped the cars so that children could cross the street.
  7. The doctor asks the patient many questions. He wants to diagnose the sickness. (in order to) → The doctor asks the patient many questions in order to diagnose the sickness.
  8. The players trained well. They didn't want to lose the match. (in order that) → The players trained well in order that they would not lose the match.
  9. The parents promised summer in Spain. They wanted to encourage their children to study harder. (for) → The parents promised summer in Spain for encouraging their children to study harder.
  10. The Moroccan football committee requested FIFA to postpone the Africa Cup. They wanted to avoid the spreading of Ebola. (so as to) → The Moroccan football committee requested FIFA to postpone the Africa Cup so as to avoid the spreading of Ebola.
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National Exam items

Join the sentences with the given linker
  1. Rachid got a loan from the bank. He wanted to buy an apartment. (in order to) → Rachid got a loan from the bank in order to buy an apartment.
  2. Many people learn computer skills. They want to get better jobs. (so as to) → Many people learn computer skills so as to get better jobs.
  3. The Browns went to a famous restaurant. They wanted to celebrate their wedding anniversary. (in order to) → The Browns went to a famous restaurant in order to celebrate their wedding anniversary.
  4. My brother came home early. He wanted to watch the football match. (so as to) → My brother came home early so as to watch the football match.
  5. Najib and his friends collected money. They wanted to plant trees in their school. (in order to) → Najib and his friends collected money in order to plant trees in their school.
  6. We rarely play music at night. We don't want to disturb our neighbours. (so as not to) → We rarely play music at night so as not to disturb our neighbours.
  7. Ali worked in the evenings. He wanted to save money to buy a computer. (in order to) → Ali worked in the evenings in order to save money to buy a computer.
  8. The local authorities opened new schools. They wanted to serve their community better. (so as to) → The local authorities opened new schools so as to serve their community better.

❖ Key Takeaways ❖

① Three structures

to / in order to / so as to + verb. for + noun or V-ing. so that + subject + modal.

② Negative purpose

Use in order not to, so as not to, or so that ... not. Avoid "to not".

③ Same vs. different subjects

Same subject → to / in order to. Different subjects → so that.

❖ Exam tip

"Join the sentences with…" is a very common exam exercise. Watch the linker carefully: so that needs a modal (can, could), while to / in order to need only the bare verb.

❖ Unit 3 — Education — Functions: Expressing Purpose ❖