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How to use infinitives of purpose

English has different verb forms. A full infinitive is to + verb. For example, to eat

Why we do something
When a full infinitive is used at the end of a sentence to explain why we do something, it is called the infinitive of purpose. This only works with verbs, not nouns.

  • I went home to eat
  • He's going to the gym to lose weight.
  • I will work hard to make more money.

Nouns
To explain why we do something using a noun, we use for.

  • I went home for food.
  • He's going to the gym for exercise.
  • I will work hard for money.

Helping
We can also use for to talk about doing something to help someone.

  • I made this video for you to learn.
  • There's a cake on the table for you to eat.
Reference: BBC Learning English

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