9.8 Purpose clauses

Examples of purpose clauses are:

John's gone to the shop to buy some bread. (En John ha anat a la botiga per comprar pa.)

I bought the newspaper to see which teams had won. (Vaig comprar el diari per veure quins equips havien guanyat.)

The government will have to raise taxes in order to finance the new health system. (El govern haurà de pujar els impostos per finançar el nou sistema sanitari.)

In order to finance the new health system the government will have to raise taxes. (El govern haurà de pujar els impostos per finançar el nou sistema sanitari.)

We gave Frank the key so (that) he wouldn't have to wait for us. (Vam donar la clau al Frank perquè no hagués d'esperar-nos.)

In order to is more formal than to alone. Consequently,

• John's gone to the shop to buy some bread.

is more normal than

• John's gone to the shop in order to buy some bread.

When the purpose clause goes first, ‘‘in order to’’ is more usual, so, e.g.:

In order to avoid an argument, Mary agreed to stay at home. (Per tal d'evitar una discussió, la Mary va acceptar quedar-se a casa.)

We can express a negative purpose with in order not to or so as not to, e.g.:

They left the meeting early in order not to miss their train. (Van sortir de la reunió abans per tal de no perdre el tren.)

They left the meeting early so as not to miss their train. (Van sortir de la reunió abans per no perdre el tren.)

Notice that when there is no verb, but only the noun, we use the preposition for:

John's gone to the shop for the bread. (En John ha anat a la botiga a buscar el pa.)

However we cannot use for or for to with the verb, so:

John's gone to the shop for get some bread.
John's gone to the shop for to get some bread.

	See also cause, reason and consequence and subordinate clauses.