Central usages of [ss Purpose] explain the motivation behind (hence subtype of [ss Explanation]) an action; the action serves as a means for achieving or facilitating the [ss Purpose]. Yet it is possible to complete the action without realizing the purpose.
Prototypical markers include [p en/for] and infinitive marker [p en/to]:
- [ex 001 "He rose [p en/to Purpose] make a grand speech."]
- [ex 002 "He rose [p en/for Purpose] a grand speech."]
- [ex 003 "surgery [p en/to Purpose] treat a leg injury"]
Something directly manipulated/affected can stand in metonymically for the desired event:
- [ex 004 "I went to the store [p en/for Purpose] eggs. [understood: ‘to acquire/buy eggs’]"]
- [ex 005 "surgery [p en/for Purpose] a leg injury [understood: ‘to treat a leg injury’]"]
Less central usages present a potentially desirable outcome that could be brought about thanks to the availability of an entity, such as a tool, facility, or expendable resource:[^1]
- [ex 054 "There is some wood [p en/to Purpose] start a fire (with)."]
- [ex 055 "Do you have a couch <u>[p en/to Purpose] sleep on</u>/<u>[p en/for Purpose] sleeping on</u>?"]
- [ex 010 "This place is great [p en/for Purpose] ping-pong."]
However, this category *excludes* infinitival complements of modal and aspectual predicates *that lack a direct object*:
- [ex 056 "He wants/needs [p en/to `i] leave. ([ss `i])"]
- [ex 057 "He is ready [p en/to `i] leave. ([ss `i])"]
- [ex 058 "He started/managed [p en/to `i] leave. ([ss `i])"]
The following tests help to clarify the boundaries of [ss Purpose]:
###1. If a relation can be phrased as **<i>in order to </i>VP</i>** or **<i>in order for </i>NP<i> to </i>VP**, it is a [ss Purpose].
- [ex 030 "I arrived (in order) [p en/to Purpose] see the movie."]
- [ex 031 "I need $10 (in order) [p en/to Purpose] see the movie."]
- [ex 032 "It takes $10 (in order) [p en/to Purpose] see the movie."]
- [ex 033 "Bring the product to the store (in order) for<sub>[ss `i]</sub> us [p en/to Purpose] service it."]
- [ex 034 "Bring the product to the store (in order) for<sub>[ss `i]</sub> the part [p en/to Purpose] be replaced."]
###2. If a relation can be phrased as **<i>for the purpose of </i>NP**, or **<i>for the purpose of </i><inferred verb> NP** (provided that the meaning is not better captured by another label, e.g. [ss Beneficiary]), or **<i>that </i><someone><i> intends to </i>VP**, it is a [ss Purpose].
- [ex 035 "I arrived [p en/for Purpose] (the purpose of) the movie."]
- [ex 036 "I need $10 [p en/for Purpose] (the purpose of seeing) the movie."]
- [ex 037 "I went to the store [p en/for Purpose] (the purpose of buying) eggs."]
- [ex 038 "a couch [p en/for Purpose] (the purpose of) sleeping on"]
- [ex 039 "a couch [p en/to Purpose] sleep on ⇒ a couch [p en/for Purpose] the purpose of sleeping on"]
- [ex 040 "I found a party (that I intend) [p en/to Purpose] attend"]
Be careful, however, with inserting an inferred verb, as sometimes it is better captured by another label:
- [ex 041 "I babysat [p en/for Beneficiary] (the purpose of helping) my aunt and uncle (= as a favor) ([ss Beneficiary])"]
- [ex 042 "I made a cake [p en/for Circumstance] (the purpose of celebrating) your birthday (= on the occasion of your birthday) ([ss Circumstance])"]
###3. If a relation can be phrased as **NP<i> is good/bad for </i>V<i>-ing</i>**, it is a [ss Purpose].[^3]
- [ex 043 "This is a good gym [p en/to Purpose] lift weights at.<br/> ⇒ This is a good gym [p en/for Purpose] (lifting) weights.<br/> ⇒ This gym is good [p en/for Purpose] (lifting) weights."]
- [ex 044 "This cleaner is good [p en/for Purpose] (cleaning) hardwood floors."]
###4. An infinitival modifier of an indefinite pronoun (<i>anything</i>, <i>someone</i>) or vague noun (<i>thing</i>, <i>stuff</i>) is [ss Purpose] if the pronoun or vague noun has an entity referent that is involved in the infinitival event.
- [ex 045 "I can’t think of anybody/a single person [p en/to Purpose] ask."]
- [ex 046 "I found something [p en/to Purpose] eat."]
- [ex 047 "I found <u>something</u>/<u>stuff</u> [p en/to `i] do. (<i>something</i>/<i>stuff</i> does not refer to an entity) ([ss `i])"]
###5. An infinitive clause not meeting the above criteria may express the **result** of an event, in which case the appropriate label is [ss Goal]: see [exref 011 Goal].
###6. Many uses of infinitives are not purposes, including complements of modal/aspectual predicates that lack a direct object ([exref 056 Purpose]–[exref 058 Purpose]), and syntactic constructions like clausal subjects and certain clefts:
- [ex 048 "[pspecial To en/to `i] see the movie is a joy. ([ss `i])"]
- [ex 049 "It is fun [p en/to `i] see the movie. ([ss `i])"]
## Commercial services
A special qualification to the above tests applies to commercial scenes (<i>buying</i>, <i>paying</i>, <i>hiring</i>, <i>costing</i>, etc.): for explicitly commercial scenes,[^2] if the [ss Purpose] tests pass, the appropriate label is [ss Theme--Purpose].
This expresses that the [ss Purpose] is not merely a desired outcome, but is actually promised and paid for in a transaction:
- [ex 050 "It costs $10 [p en/to Theme--Purpose] see the movie. ([ss Theme--Purpose])"]
- [ex 051 "I hired John [p en/to Theme--Purpose] fix the problem. ([ss Theme--Purpose])"]
See [additional examples](/Theme/#wiki-toc-transfer-goods-and-services) under [ss Theme].
## Sufficiency and excess
Expressions of sufficiency/excess with an infinitival that passes the above tests for [ss Purpose] are labeled [ss ComparisonRef--Purpose].
- [ex 052 "a bag large enough <u>[p en/for ComparisonRef--Purpose]</u>/<u>[p en/to ComparisonRef--Purpose] hold</u> the groceries ([ss ComparisonRef--Purpose])<br/> ⇒ a bag large enough [p en/for ComparisonRef--Purpose] (the purpose of holding) the groceries"]
Sufficiency/excess usages failing the tests are [ss ComparisonRef--Goal], as this is similar to how an infinitival can express a result—cf. [exref 011 Goal]:
- [ex 053 "a forest canopy too dense [p en/to ComparisonRef--Goal] admit sunlight ([ss ComparisonRef--Goal])"]
- [ex 059 "*a forest canopy too dense in order to admit sunlight"]
- [ex 060 "*a forest canopy too dense for the purpose of admitting sunlight [would imply that somebody was trying to admit sunlight]"]
There is additional discussion under [ss ComparisonRef].
## Versus [ss Circumstance] for ritualized occasions
[ss Purpose] applies to [p en/for] when it marks a ritualized activity such as a meal or holiday/commemoration for which the main event describes a **preparation** stage:
- [ss Purpose]:
- [ex 020 "I walked to this restaurant [p en/for Purpose] dinner. [walking is not a part of dinner]"]
- [ex 021 "I bought food [p en/for Purpose] dinner."]
- [ex 022 "We saved money [p en/for Purpose] our annual vacation."]
However, if the activity marked by [p en/for] is interpreted as **containing** the main event, then we use [ss Circumstance]:
- [ss Circumstance]:
- [ex 023 "We ate there [p en/for Circumstance] dinner."]
- [ex 024 "I received a new bicycle [p en/for Circumstance] Christmas."]
- [ex 025 "I always drink eggnog [p en/for Circumstance] Christmas. [at and in celebration of Christmastime]"]
- [ex 026 "We were wearing costumes [p en/for Circumstance] Halloween."]
If in doubt, [ss Circumstance] is broader: e.g., <i>We went there [p en/for] dinner</i> if <i>went</i> is ambiguous between journeying and attending.
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In v1, the usages illustrated in [exref 014 Purpose] were assigned a separate label, <i>Function</i>, which inherited from both <i>Attribute</i> and [ss Purpose].
The ability to use construal removes the need for a separate label.
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[^1]: In FrameNet as of v1.7, these sorts of purposes are labeled as <b><i>Inherent_purpose</i></b>. See, e.g., the example “MONEY [to support yourself and your family]” in the [**Money** frame](https://framenet2.icsi.berkeley.edu/fnReports/data/lu/lu13361.xml?mode=annotation).
[^2]: A more general predicate such as *give*, *need*, or *request* is not considered to evoke a commercial scene, even if it involves money exchanged for a service.
[^3]: The positive or negative evaluation is being delimited to a particular purpose: [exref 043 Purpose] is not claiming the gym is good *in general*, just with respect to lifting weights.