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ESL forum > Ask for help > I need your help!    

I need your help!



Sirenevyimetallik
Russian Federation

I need your help!
 
Dear friends!
Can you help me with one question? My students are studying the topic "Infinitive of purpose" and we are also studying "for + noun" construction. So I have a question: is it possible to say I WENT TO TOWN FOR MEETING MY FRIENDS or only I WENT TO TOWN  TO MEET MY FRIENDS? And is it possible to use "for + gerund" instead of "for + noun" ?
Thank you in advance!

6 Feb 2015      





redcamarocruiser
United States

In my opinion, you can say, "I WENT TO TOWN FOR a MEETING with MY FRIENDS." (the purpose of going to town).
But I would not say, "I WENT TO TOWN FOR MEETING MY FRIENDS
 because it is this structure
 I went to _______ for _________ my friends.
and sounds too much like the structure
I WENT TO Jail FOR aussaltING MY FRIENDS,
where �for � sounds like �as a result of � or �due to �.
In this structure, "I went to town" sounds like the consequence for meeting the friends, instead of the purpose. 

6 Feb 2015     



Gi2gi
Georgia

In your sentence, (I WENT TO TOWN FOR MEETING) we do not have a noun, we have a gerund, so it is not correct: For + gerund cannot express a purpose, like you would say in Russian. (для встречи) 
 
"Meeting"  can be used as a verbal noun, as in Mary �s example, (I WENT TO TOWN FOR a MEETING) where it has an article, but such verbal nouns are few.  
 

6 Feb 2015     



Sirenevyimetallik
Russian Federation

Thank you very much for your replies! It was very useful! As far as I understood I can say, for instance: I �M SAVING MONYE FOR A BUYING OF A NEW CAR. Or I BOUGHT A MASK, A SNORKEL AND FLIPPERS FOR A SWIMMING IN THE SEA. Here �s one more example: I �VE FLOWN THOUSANDS OF KILOMETRES FOR A MEETING WITH YOU. Am I right?

6 Feb 2015