Español
In English we often use an infinitive with to to talk about a person’s purpose.
We can also use 'in order to' or 'so as to'.
'So as to' and 'in order to' are more common before verbs like be, have, know etc.
Before a negative infinitive, we normally use 'so as' or 'in order'.
Notes for use of infinitive of purpose :
We say I came here to study English NOT I came here for studying English OR I came here for to study English.
We can use for + noun to say why we do something.
| Infinitive of purpose example sentences | |
|---|---|
| I wonder how many times you brought her here to watch the sunset. | Me pregunto cuántas veces la trajiste aquí para ver el atardecer. |
| I'm just calling you to check if you are ready. | Solo te llamo para comprobar si estás lista. |
| No, it's only for people to have fun at an amusement park. | No, solo es para que la gente se divierta en el parque de atracciones. |
| Mike just went to get us some drinks. | Mike acaba de ir a buscar algunas bebidas. |
| I knew you were waiting to ask that question! | ¡Sabía que estabas esperando para preguntarme eso! |
| It requires two people to do it... | Necesita de dos personas para abrirse... |
| You can bring Pogo one day to see if they get on well. | Puedes traer a Pogo un día para ver si se llevan bien. |
| To avoid making my payment! | ¡Para evitar pagarme! |
| I need a couple of days to finish my projects... | Necesito un par de días para terminar mis proyectos... |
| I'm here with a plumber to fix the clogged toilet. | Estoy aquí con un plomero para arreglar el inodoro tupido. |
| I just came to take Mike with me. | Sólo he venido a llevarme a Mike. |
| She called me last night to let me know about the clogged toilet... | Ella me llamó anoche para decirme lo del inodoro tupido... |
| Alright, I need one of you to help me open the door. | De acuerdo, necesito que uno de ustedes dos me ayude a abrir la puerta. |
| So I turned the stove up higher to cook faster. | Así que prendí más la estufa para cocinar más rápido. |
| Don't you have a cleaner to help keep the house clean? | ¿No tienes un limpiador para ayudar a mantener la casa limpia? |
| Maybe it's better for us to meet up somewhere to talk about this. | Tal vez es mejor que nos reunamos en otro lado para hablar sobre esto. |
| I think you are doing this on purpose to annoy me. | Creo que estás haciendo esto a propósito para enojarme. |
| I brought him to see if he gets on well with Bear. | Lo traje para ver si se lleva bien con Bear. |
| Excuse me!? I just played with the kids to keep them entertained. | ¿¡Perdón!? Sólo jugué con los niños para mantenerlos entretenidos. |
| I think she went upstairs to get some sleep. | Creo que ha subido arriba a dormir un poco. |
