What is your purpose to America

[GoodTaste]

(From a Chinese film featured with detective stories happened in New York City.)

US custom officer (after checking out the passport of a Chinese young man): Purpose of your trip to America?
Chinese young man stammered with poor English: I...I...
Officer: I...I... Why are you here?
Young man: To attend a wedding.

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Apparently, the phrase "Purpose of your trip to America" is a shortened sentence. It is formal.

The question here is whether "What is your purpose to America" (well, if I were the officer, I'd like to use this phrase instead of "Purpose of your triip to America.") sounds formal in American English and whether it can be used officially.

 

[emsr2d2]

It's a shortened form of "What is the purpose of your trip to America?" It's a standard question from immigration officials in almost every country in the world. In the UK, it would be "What is the purpose of your visit?" That question would come after "How long are you staying [in the UK]?"

 

[Tdol]

Apparently, the phrase "Purpose of your trip to America" is a shortened sentence. It is formal.

How are you defining formal? Wherever you got this information from is not a good source of what is formal. Shortening sentences is rarely a sign of formality.

 

[emsr2d2]

(From a Chinese film [STRIKE]featured with[/STRIKE] featuring detective stories that happened in New York City.) Please provide the title and other pertinent information.

US Customs Officer (after checking [STRIKE]out[/STRIKE] the passport of a [STRIKE]Chinese[/STRIKE] young Chinese man): Purpose of your trip to America?
[STRIKE]Chinese[/STRIKE] Young Chinese man, stammering [STRIKE]with[/STRIKE] in poor English: I ... I ... (space before and after an ellipsis)
Officer: I ... I ... Why are you here?
Young man: To attend a wedding.

===============================

Apparently, the phrase "Purpose of your trip to America?" is a shortened [STRIKE]sentence[/STRIKE] question. It is formal.
"Apparently" and "It is formal" - according to who?

The question here is whether "What is your purpose to America?" [STRIKE](well, if I were the officer, I'd like to use this phrase instead of "Purpose of your triip to America.")[/STRIKE] sounds formal in American English and whether it can be used officially.
If I were the officer, I'd use that phrase instead of "Purpose of your trip to America?"

See above.

 

[SoothingDave]

"What is your purpose to America?" is not correct. "What is the purpose of your trip to America?" is.

The officer's utterance could also be understood as a command: "State the purpose of your trip to America."

 

[GoodTaste]

I wonder why "What is your purpose to America?" is incorrect. The phrase "your purpose" seems OK to me.

 

[SoothingDave]

Original phrasing, your trip has a purpose. The trip allows you to attend a wedding.

Your re-wording, you yourself have some purpose to America (the nation). The nation has no need for you to attend a wedding. You serve no purpose, do not benefit the nation in any way.

 

[GoodTaste]

"My purpose to America Is to study English there in depth."

Or to attend an academic meeting.

Is my purpose clear enough?

The question remains as it is.

 

[Skrej]

We use the set construction "purpose of X" (where X is a noun or gerund) to explain or ask the reason for X. Typically we'd add 'What is the' to the front of it, but in this case it was dropped for brevity.

Since it's a set construction, you can't go changing parts of it, so 'purpose to X' won't work.

 

[emsr2d2]

You can use "your purpose" in something like "What is your purpose in coming to America?" but we don't have a "purpose to" anything.