to and for

[richimoon]

Hi!
I would like to know the differences between "to" and "for" with infinitives and gerunds, related to purposes and uses, i.e.:

I need that machine TO SEND mails. / This machine is FOR SENDING mails.

Every night I enjoy TO WATCH TV. / TV is FOR WATCHING TV.

I'm confused!! I can use it without difficulties but I need to prepare a lesson with that grammar point but I do not know how to explain it! The lesson is about the use of "to" and "for" in purposes and uses, to avoid confusion.

Thanks!!

richimoon

[Anglika]

With reference to your sentences:

Every night I enjoy TO WATCH TV. / A television set is FOR WATCHING televised programmes.


You could alter the first to "Every night I want to watch TV" or "Every night I sit down to watch TV".

Have a look at this site and see if it will help: Verbals: Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives - The OWL at Purdue

[richimoon]

Hi again!!

The page you sent me is very useful, but now the following sentences initiated my doubts:

Which of them are correct?

Group 1:
I have a computer TO SEND e-mails. / I have a computer FOR SENDING e-mails.

Group 2:
Computers are used TO SEND e-mails. / Computers are used FOR SENDING e-mails.


All of these four sentences are correct? Or just one of each group?

If it´s so, the first sentence from the Group 1 is correct, and the second sentence from the Group 2 is correct. Is that OK?

And, should I use "TO BE+USE" in all the cases or just when it is needed?

Thanks for your help!!

richimoon

[Manas Ranjan Mallick]

I am not a professional teacher. My claifications for richimoon are as follows:
"While going through page referred to by anglika you might have come across an important comment about the use of ‘To’ with a verb (infinitive form)to act as a noun, adjective or adverb and also as a preposition when it takes a noun or pronoun as its object. Examples: He used a computer to send e-mails to his friends.
Here “to send” acts as an adverb to the verb used and “his friends’ as object of the preposition ‘To’. Taking your example: Computers are used TO SEND e-mails.
Here “To send” acts as a noun and direct object of the verb “used”

Added to the confusion, you have used another preposition ‘for’ which usually takes a gerund as its object. I take your examples which have created doubts in your mind. Examples: I have a computer FOR SENDING e-mails.
Computers are used FOR SENDING e-mails.
Here the ‘ing’ form verb send i.e. sending is a gerund and acts as a object of thev preposition ‘for’. So both the sentences are correct."