Expressing Purpose and Desire

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key grammatical structures and modal combinations for expressing purpose.

TO + bare infinitive

The most common and neutral structure used to express purpose (e.g., "The ghost returned to warn the family.").

IN ORDER TO + bare infinitive

A structure used to express purpose that is more explicit and a bit more formal (e.g., "The ghost returned in order to warn the family.").

SO AS TO + bare infinitive

A structure used to express purpose that is more formal, especially in writing (e.g., "The spirit appeared so as to reveal a secret.").

SO THAT + subject + conjugated verb

A structure used to express the purpose of an action involving another person (e.g., "The ghost appeared so that the family could understand the truth.").

can / could (after so that)

Modal verbs used following "so that" to express possibility (e.g., "The ghost left a message so that they could find the hidden room.").

will / would (after so that)

Modal verbs used following "so that" to express an expected result.