Use TO in these cases:

Use TO nestes casos:

1.        Destination
"We're going to Paris."

Destino

Vamos para Paris.

2.      What time it is
“It's a quarter to 2."

Que horas são

São 15 para 2.

3.      Distance
"It's about ten miles from my house to the university."

Distância

São cerca de dez milhas da minha casa para a universidade

4.      Comparing
“I prefer sleeping to working."

Comparando

Eu prefiro dormir que trabalhar.

5.      Giving
“I gave the book to my sister.”

Dando

Eu dou o livro para minha irmã.

6.      Motive/Reason — with verb
“I came here to see you."

Motivo/razão – com verbo

Vim aqui para te ver.

Use FOR in these cases:

Use FOR nestes casos

1.      Benefits
“Yogurt is good for you digestion.”

Benefícios

Yogurt ébom para você degustar.

2.      Period of time
"We've lived here for 2 years."

Período de tempo

Vivemos aqui por 2 anos.

3.      Schedule
"I made an appointment for May 3."

Cronograma

Eu faço uma anotação todo dia 3 de maio.

4.      Agree with
"Are you for or against the development of nuclear weapons?"

Concordar com

Você é a favor ou contra o desenvolvimento de armas nucleares?

5.      Doing something to help someone
“Could you carry these books for me?”

Fazendo algo para ajudar alguém

Você poderia levar esses livros para mim?

6.      Motive/Reason -- with noun
"Let's go out for a drink."

Motivo/razão com substantivo

Vamos sair para tomar uma bebida.

7.      Function — with verb (-ing form)
“A ladle is a big spoon used for serving soup."

Função – com verbo (forma de gerúndio)

Uma porca é uma colher grande para servir sopa.

As you can see in #6, TO or FOR can be used for a motive/reason, but TO is always with a verb, and FOR is always with a noun. Here’s a good example:

“Came to New York to work.”

“Came to New York for a new job.”

 

 

 

We use the to-infinitive:

 

·        to express purpose (to answer “Why...?”):

 

He bought some flowers to give to his wife.

He locked the door to keep everyone out.

 

We sometimes say in order to or in order not to:

 

We set off early in order to avoid the traffic.

They spoke quietly in order not to wake the children

 

... or we can say so as to or so as not to:

 

We set off early so as to avoid the traffic.

They spoke quietly so as not to wake the children.

 

·    after certain verbs (see verbs followed by infinitive). particularly verbs of thinking and feeling:

choose, decide, expect, forget, hate, hope, intend, learn, like, love, mean, plan, prefer, remember, want, would like, would love

 

...  and verbs of saying:

agree, promise, refuse

They decided to start a business togcthcr.

Remember to turn the lights out.

 

Some verbs are followed by a direct object and the infinitive (see verbs followed by infinitive at the end):

advise, ask, encourage, invite, order, persuade, remind, tell, warn, expect, intend, would prefer, want, would like

She reminded me to turn the lights out.

He encouraged his friends to vote for him.

 

·        after certain adjectives.

 

Sometimes the to-infinitive gives a reason for the adjective:

 

disappointed

 

pleased

 

 

glad

 

surprised

 

 

sad

 

proud

 

 

happy

 

unhappy

 

 

anxious

 

 

 

 

We were happy to come to the end of our journey

= We were happy because we had come to the end of our journey

John was surprised to see me

= He was surprised because he saw me

 

Other adjectives with the to-infinitive are:

 

able

 

unlikely

 

 

unable

 

ready

 

 

due

 

prepared

 

 

eager

 

unwilling

 

 

keen

 

willing

 

 

likely

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately I was unable to work for over a week.

I am really tired. I'm ready to go to bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We often use the to-infinitive with these adjectives after it to give opinions:

 

difficult

 

wrong

 

 

easy

 

kind

 

 

possible

 

nice

 

 

impossible

 

clever

 

 

hard

 

silly

 

 

rioht

 

foolish

 

 

It's easy to play the piano, but it's very difficuit to play well.

He spoke so quickly it was impossible to understand him.

 

We use the preposition for to show who these adjectives refer to:

 

difficult

 

impossible

 

 

easy

 

hard

 

 

possible

 

 

 

 

It was dillicult for us to hear what she was saying.

It is easy for you to criticise other people.

 

We use the preposition of with other adjectives:

 

It's kind of you to help.

It would be silly of him to spend all his money.

 

As a postmodifier (see noun phrases) after abstract nouns like:

 

ability

 

failure

 

 

desire

 

opportunity

 

 

need

 

chance

 

 

wish

 

intention

 

 

attempt

 

 

 

 

I have no desire to be rich.

 

They gave him an opportunity to escape.

 

She was annoyed by her failure to answer the question correctly.

 

We often use a to-infinitive as a postmodifier after an indefinite pronoun (See indefinite pronouns):

 

When I am travel!ing I always take something to read.

 

I was all alone. I had no one to talk to.

 

There is hardly anything to do in most of these small towns.

 

1 Some verbs are followed by the to-infinitive:

 

I decided to go home as soon as possible.

We all wanted to have more English classes.

 

Common verbs followed by the to-infinitive are:

 

Verbs of thinking and feeling:

 

choose

 

like

 

 

decide

 

love

 

 

expect

 

mean

 

 

forget

 

pian

 

 

hate

 

prefer

 

 

hope

 

remember

 

 

intend

 

would like

 

 

learn

 

would love

 

 

Verbs of saying:

 

agree

 

fail

 

 

promise

 

manage

 

 

refuse

 

tend

 

 

arrange

 

try

 

 

attempt

 

 

 

 

Other common verbs are:

help

 

 

 

 

want

 

 

2 Some verbs are followed by a noun and the to-infinitive:

 

She asked him to send her a text message.

He wanted all his friends to come to his party.

 

Common verbs with this pattern are:

 

Verbs or say ing:

 

advise

 

persuade

 

 

ask

 

remind

 

 

encourage

 

tell

 

 

invite

 

warn

 

 

order

 

 

 

 

*Note: The verb warn is normally used with not

The police warned everyone not to drive too fast.

 

Verbs of wanting or liking:

 

expect      

 

prefer

 

 

intend

 

want

 

 

would

 

would like

 

 

Other verbs with this pattern are:

 

allow

 

get

 

 

enable

 

teach

 

 

force

 

 

 

 

3. Passive infinitive

 

Many of these verbs are sometimes followed by a passive infinitive (to be + past participle):

I expected to be met when I arrived at the station.

They wanted to be told if anything happened.

I don't like driving myself. I prefer to be driven.