TO ou FOR

Boa noite Pessoal,
Sempre escuto as mesmas dúvidas sobre o uso do TO e FOR,  a maioria dos alunos tem uma dificuldade muito grande no uso, por esse motivo resolvi postar as regras para uso.
Agradecimentos ao site BBC World Service.

Atenção: noun = substantivo
or + noun(SUBSTANTIVO) or to + infinitive

Para falarmos  sobre a finalidade de uma ação , usamos o  for + nounconstruction or a to + infinitive estrutura.

Repare e compare:

We stopped off at the Goose for a drink and then we carried on to embassy for dinner.

I’m going to Brussels next week for an interview. I hope to work for the UN.

Do you want to have a drink at the Goose before we go on to dine with the ambassador?

I’ve come to Dublin to attend a seminar and to meet the new members of the faculty. But now I’m leaving for Rome.

for + -ing

Para falarmos sobre a finalidade de alguma coisa, utilizamos o for + -ingconstruction:

- These double-strength paracetamols are good for getting rid of headaches.
- Are they suitable for backache too?

- What are these two knives used for?
- This one is for cutting bread and that one is just for slicing meat.

What…for?

Atenção:  What…for? Pode ser usado em perguntas sobre situações, ações e coisas:

- You pinched me! What did you do that for?
- I wanted to see if you were awake

- What are these two buttons for?
- The blue one is for gaining access to the main menu and the green one is for quitting teletext.

Pedindo desculpa, agradecendo, comportamento, explicar situações

Obs:

for + noun e for + -ing, são utilizados com  thank, apologise e be / feel sorry: com be / feel sorry  to + infinitive :

Thanks for the lift. Thank you for driving me home.

South Western trains would like to apologise for the late arrival of this train and for the inconvenience this may cause you.

He really should apologise for spitting in his face. That sort of behaviour is unacceptable, even on a football field.

I’m sorry to have taken so long with this report.
I’m sorry for taking so long with this report.

- I feel sorry for the cleaners.
- I feel sorry for them too. They’ve got the thankless task of cleaning up all this mess.

He was rewarded for handing in the purse.

He was criticised for not coming forward as a witness to the accident.

He was fined heavily for speeding on the motorway.

He was sent to prison for falsifying the accounts.

Formal: in order (not) to / so as (not) to + infinitive

To get a better job I decided to take a computer course.
In order to get a better job I decided to take a computer course.

I left home early in order not to be late for the appointment.
I left the house early so as not be late for the job interview.



DICAS:

For = intenção, consideração, opinião

To = ação direta