Expressing Purpose

 

Functions :Expressing Purpose.

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Read this dialog first and look at the ways in which these people are expressing what they want.

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Ralph: Hi Beth. How are you?
Beth: Hi, I am fine. Thanks.What are you doing?
Ralph: I am revising my lessons. I want to have a good mark in the test.
Beth: Oh, so you are revising so as to have a good mark in the test.
Ralph: exactly. Do you think that studying English is important?
Beth: Yes of course, it is. Many people in the world today are learning English in order to be able to use the internet. A lot of materials on the web are in English.
Ralph: True, we should also learn English so that we understand other cultures. English is the language of the whole world, so if you want to speak with anyone from a different country,you should use English.

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Notice that in the highlighted sentences- in yellow- the speakers are expressing their purpose in doing something. The sentences which express purpose are:
** You are revising so as to have a good mark in the test.
** Many people in the world today are learning English in order to be able to use the internet.
** We should also learn English so that we understand other cultures.
Notice that “purpose” doesn’t mean “cause”. The “purpose” of doing something doesn’t mean the “cause” behind doing something.
LOOK (*-*) the cause of something is what caused it. For example:
** Rashid has a good mark in the test because he revised his lessons well.
So in this example the “cause” of the good mark is the hard work of Rashid/his revision.
BUT: ** “Rashid revises his lessons so as to have a good mark”. In this sentence we don’t have the “cause”; we have “purpose” which is the same as the “goal/intention/aim”.

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What about the structure of the expressions above: ***so as to + verb in the infinitive.

***in order to + verb in the infinitive.

*** so that + subject + verb.

OTHER WAYS TO EXPRESS PURPOSE:

You can still use other expressions to express your purpose in doing something: Look at these examples and try to see the expressions and how they are used:
***Young people should work hard in order to improve their conditions.
***Young people should work hard to improve their conditions.
This one is shorter and simpler. We can use only the infinitive particle “to” + verb to express purpose in English.
*** Tom is working overtime to get more money. – The infinitive is used to express purpose.
*** Tom is working overtime with a view to getting more money.
I hope you see the difference here: when you use “with a view to “for purpose, it should be + gerund. — The gerund is the verb in the form of “ing”—to make it simple!
You can still use the expressions above with “not” and say: “so as not to “+ verb inf.///”in order not to “+ verb infinitive.
It doesn’t make any difference; it’s all the same. Look at these examples:

*** We should burn rubbish so as to protect our environment.

*** We should burn rubbish so as not to pollute our environment. ———-the same thing.

***Women should work hard in order to get their rights.

***Women should work hard in order not to be inferior to men.

The expressions in a chart:

The expression	What follows the expression
In order (not) to…………..	The verb
So as (not) to………………	The verb
So that…………………….	A subject + verb
With a view to……………..	The gerund
For……………………	The gerund

Exercise: Before you think of an exercise, think of examples of sentences in which you express purpose. Use the different expressions above in many sentences.

The following examples are taken from Moroccan Baccalaureate National exams.

http://englishbrahim.wordpress.com/category/expressing-purpose/