Linking clauses by subordination

Expressing purpose

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Using to, in order to and so as to

Purpose is often expressed by a simple infinitive clause with to:

If other members of the family are consulted they are much more likely to help and work together to make the operation successful. (Bank of English)

The to clause can come first, especially if it refers back to the previous sentence:

Let us say that the volume of production increased on average by 3 per cent. To achieve this, the main production funds had to be increased by 6 per cent. (Bank of English)

Though considerably less common than simple to, in order to and so as to are sometimes used when the author wants to make the purpose more explicit . This happens especially after a previous occurrence of the to-infinitive:

It's full of useful facts, information and checklists which will give you some idea of all the aspects a business needs to contend with in order to survive in today's current economic climate. (Bank of English)

If a member of staff is sick, or reallocation of staff is needed for other reasons, the Personnel Department, having considered the overall manpower situation, will assign staff to help out at individual shops so as to obtain the best possible manpower results. (Business Memo)

Using so that, in order that and so
Using to, in order to and so as to