Theme The last school year. Infinitive of purpose. School Life

Theme 1. The last school year. Infinitive of purpose.

School Life
I am a pupil of the 11-th form, I study at school number 9. I would like to tell your about our school life.
I go to school five days a week. Our classes start at 8 o’clock, and last till 3 p.m. So we have 6 or 7 lessons a day. We study many different subjects: Russian, English, French, literatures, history, geography, biology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, programming and computer, sciences, languages, literature and history are my favourite subjects. I make good marks in these subjects.

The school year is divided into four terms, called quarters. It begins on the 1st of September known as a Day of knowledge and finishes in May. Each quarter is followed by holidays.
Every pupil has a day-book where the teachers put down the marks, that pupil has earned at the class. During the classes pupils are to answer the teacher’s questions, do some exercises, write sentences, count, read, the pupils are often called to the blackboard. After every lesson the teachers give us home assignment. At the next lesson the teachers check them up. To do good at school one should make home assignments regularly, be active at the lessons and spend at least two-three hours every day studying.
I like studying. My favourite proverb is «Live and learn».

Questions:

1. What school do you study at?
2. What time do the lessons begin?
3. What subjects do you study at school?
4. What are your favourite subjects?
5. How many lessons a day have you got?
6. Do you regularly make the home assignments?

Infinitive of purpose
We can use to + infinitive to say why we do something. It tells the other person the reason. We need to have a normal verb as well.

• 
  I went on holiday (this is what I did) to relax (this is why I did it).
  
• 
  She studies hard to get good marks.
  
• 
  He gave up cakes to lose weight.
  
• 
  I'm calling you to ask for your help.
  

Be careful! In many languages, we use 'for + infinitive'. This is not correct in English. NOT: I went on holiday for relax.

The main verb can be in any tense. For example:

• 
  Present simple: I exercise every day to stay healthy.
  
• 
  Present continuous: He's saving money to buy a flat.
  
• 
  Past simple: I went to university to get a degree.
  
• 
  Past continuous: She was walking to the shops to buy milk when she met John.
  
• 
  Future simple: He'll come to the party later to pick up Julia.
  
• 
  Present perfect: She's gone to the library to study.
  

We can also use 'in order to + infinitive' and 'so as to + infinitive'. 'In order to' is a bit more formal but the meaning is the same as 'so as to' and 'to + infinitive'.

• 
  I went on holiday to relax.
  
• 
  I went on holiday in order to relax.
  
• 
  I went on holiday so as to relax.
  

We can use a negative infinitive of purpose by adding 'not' before 'to'. Often we do this with 'in order not to' and 'so as not to'.

• 
  I drank coffee in order not to fall asleep.
  
• 
  He got up very quietly so as not to wake the children.
  

We can only use the infinitive of purpose if the subject of the main verb and the infinitive of purpose are the same. If they are different, we use 'so that + clause' or 'in order that + clause'.

• 
  I went to the library to study. (I went to the library and I studied - the subject are both 'I'.)
  

BUT

• 
  I went to the library so that John could study. (I went to the library, but John studied. The two subjects are different - I and John - so we can't use an infinitive of purpose.)
  

With the verbs 'come' and 'go', we use an infinitive of purpose when they're in a normal tense but we often use 'and + infinitive' with imperatives or after modal verbs.

• 
  I went home to sleep.
  
• 
  Go home and sleep!
  
• 
  You must go home and sleep!