这是正文：
What's the difference between "to do" and "for doing" in a sentence expressing a purpose?
I want to add a bit.
Cherry gave two examples:
"She has to go home to do the housework".
"She has to go home for doing the housework".
These really do not have the same meaning. An English speaker would use the first construction only for this sentence. You will not hear an English speaker say the second. Here is why...
The first will be understood to mean "She has to go home IN ORDER TO DO the housework;" or, "She has to go home BECAUSE SHE NEEDS TO DO the housework." And this is, in fact, what we mean.
The second will be understood to mean "She has to go home AS A CONSEQUENCE FOR DOING the housework;" or, "She DID THE HOUSEWORK, AND SO she had to go home." And this doesn't make sense.
Look at it in another set of examples. Any verb may be substituted for "do":
"to X" (to sleep, to love, to give, etc.)
"for X-ing" (for sleeping, for loving, for giving, etc.)
1. He was sent home early from school TO SLEEP.
2. He was sent home early from school FOR SLEEPING.
The first means the teacher sent the student home IN ORDER TO sleep. He looked tired, and the teachers were merciful. They suggested that he go home FOR THE PURPOSE OF sleep.
In the second, the teacher sent the student home BECAUSE HE SLEPT in class. Going home was a CONSEQUENCE for sleeping when he should have stayed awake.
The only time these are interchangeable is when one of the following is true:
1. The meaning of "in order to" and "as a consequence for" will mean the same thing:
Ex. A: "He was paid $1000 TO BUILD the wall."
Ex. B: "He was paid $1000 FOR BUILDING the wall."
And, even here, be careful. The first (as Cherry pointed out) means he was paid BEFORE the work was done. The second means he was paid AFTER the work was done.
2. The meaning is about the INTENDED PURPOSE or SUGGESTED PURPOSE of an item (or person):
Ex. A: "A hammer can be used TO REMOVE nails."
Ex. B: "A hammer can be used FOR REMOVING nails."
Here, the meanings are quite the same.作者: songxuebest 时间: 2011-1-9 06:57
