Speak Better English with Harry | Episode 557

In this episode of Speak Better English podcast, you’ll learn the difference between using for and to when expressing purpose in English. Many learners confuse these two words, but with clear explanations and examples you’ll understand exactly when to use each one.

We’ll cover common structures like I went to the shop to buy milk and This book is for learning English. You’ll hear how for and to change the meaning and how to avoid typical mistakes.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll:

• Know when to use for vs to for purpose
• Practise natural example sentences for daily English
• Improve your grammar for IELTS, CAE, TOEFL, and everyday speaking

Listen now and make your English more accurate and confident.

Transcript

0:09

Hi there, this is Harry. Welcome back to Advanced English Lessons with Harry, where I try to help you to get a better understanding of the English language, to help you with your conversational skills, your business English skills, interview skills, whatever your goals are, we're here to help. And for those of you and your friends or family who want one-to-one lessons, well, you know what to do. Just get in touch, www.englishlessonviaskype.com and you can apply for a free try lesson and we'll be very happy to hear from you and very happy to help you. So what do I have for you in this podcast? Well, what we're going to look at now is the difference of the use of for and two, for and two. So how do we use them and in what way do we use them? So we're using these to express a purpose. Okay, so how do we use for or two when we want to express a purpose? So for or two, usually with the infinitive for an individual purpose. Okay, so for is commonly used with nouns to express a particular individual purpose. Let me give you an example. I popped into the supermarket for some apples on the way home. Okay, I popped, meaning I called into the supermarket for some apples on the way home. That was my purpose to buy the apples. So it's not I popped into the supermarket for buying some apples. It's I popped into the supermarket for some apples on the way home. I stopped by at his office for a chat about our marketing strategy. I stopped by at his office for a chat about our marketing strategy. Not I stopped by at his office for having a chat about marketing. Okay, I stopped by at his office. I called into his office for a chat, for a conversation about our marketing strategy, for a chat. Okay, so these are express individual purposes and therefore we're using for those express individual purposes for with the noun. I popped into the supermarket for some apples, noun. I stopped at his office for a chat, a noun. Okay, I decided I would save up for a new computer. Okay, that was my purpose. My individual purpose was to buy a new Apple Mac. So I decided I would save up for a new computer. And it's not, I decided I would save up for buying a new computer. Okay, so I decided I would save up for a new computer. Not, I decided I would save up for buying a new computer. I wanted a new computer, so I decided I would save up for a new computer, and that's the noun. So if we want to express an individual purpose with a verb, then we use two with the infinitive. So the individual purpose with a noun, we've used for. Now we are using the express individual purpose with a verb, and we're using two plus the infinitive. So let me give you an example of that. I stopped by at the supermarket to buy some apples on the way home. Okay, here. So we're using the verb to buy. Okay, I stopped by at the supermarket to buy some apples on the way home. To buy. Infinitive, verb to buy some apples. Okay, I popped into his office to have a chat about a marketing policy. I popped into his office to have a chat. Okay, to have the verb, a chat about a marketing policy. Finally, I decided to save up to buy that new computer. I decided to save up to buy a new computer. Okay, so the sentences are exactly the same. The meaning is exactly the same. But in the first examples, we're using four with nouns. I stopped to the supermarket for some apples. I stopped by his office for a chat. I decided I would save up for a new computer. For plus noun. And in the second set of examples, we're using to, the infinitive. Okay. I stopped at the supermarket to buy some apples. I popped into the office to have a chat. And I decided to save up for a new computer. I decided to save up. Okay. So when we want to use for plus a verb for a particular purpose, we can use it in the following way. Schools are for educating children. Okay, so this is the purpose. Schools are for educating. Okay, so it's the verb plus the ing. Schools are for educating children, not for entertaining them. Okay, schools are for educating children, not for entertaining them. Schools are for learning. Life is for living. For learning, for living. The kitchen knife is especially useful for slicing vegetables. Slicing for slicing vegetables. See that? For plus the verb plus the ing. Okay? Schools are for educating, not for entertaining. Schools are for learning. Life is for living. Kitchen knife is useful for slicing. Okay, so all of those are examples of for plus the verb plus the ing. Now, if we want to use in a question, we can say something like, what's this for? What's this for? Oh, it's for opening oysters. Okay, what's this for? Oh, it's for opening oysters. What's this 50 Euro note for? Oh, it's for buying food at the weekend. Okay, what's this for? It's for opening oysters. What's this 50 Euro note for? It's for buying food at the weekend. Okay? Now, when the subject of the sentence is a person rather than the thing, so in the previous examples we've been using things, but when the subject of the sentence is a person rather than the thing, then we use two plus the infinitive. For example, I use this small knife to slice vegetables with. So here it's me. I use this small knife to slice vegetables with. Not this kitchen knife is useful for slicing. So this kitchen knife, so it's a thing. This kitchen knife is useful for slicing vegetables. When I make me the subject, then I use this small knife to slip vegetables with. I use this gadget to open shellfish with. So I use this gadget to, yeah, this gadget is used for opening. Okay, so you can see the difference there between the subject I and then when it is just a thing. And we can also use in order to do something, so as to do something, okay? I bought this laptop in order to work at home. I bought this laptop so as to be able to work from home. Okay. All right. So different uses of for and two. And I've given you the examples there. So might need to listen to it a couple of times just to get the understanding. But these are very classic uses of four and two when we want to express particular purpose. Okay. Well, as always, thanks for listening. And if you want to contact me, you can do so on www.englishlessonviaskype.com. Very happy to hear from you. Very happy to get your suggestions. Thanks for listening. And as always, join me again soon.