9.8 Purpose clauses

Examples of purpose clauses are:

John's gone to the shop to buy some bread. (John ha ido a la tienda para comprar pan.)

I bought the newspaper to see which teams had won. (Compré el periódico para ver qué equipos habían ganado.)

The government will have to raise taxes in order to finance the new health system. (El gobierno deberá subir los impuestos para financiar el nuevo sistema sanitario.)

In order to finance the new health system the government will have to raise taxes. (El gobierno deberá subir los impuestos para financiar el nuevo sistema sanitario.)

We gave Frank the key so (that) he wouldn't have to wait for us. (Le dimos la llave a Frank para que no nos tuviera que esperar.)

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. (Para evitar una discusión, Mary aceptó quedarse en 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. (Salieron de la reunión antes por tal de no perder el tren.)

They left the meeting early so as not to miss their train. (Salieron de la reunión antes para no perder 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. (John ha ido a la tienda a buscar el pan.)

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.