jeudi 8 mai 2014

Notes on usage: Purpose

Aim  -  Intention  -  Plan  -  Point  -  Idea

 

These are all words for talking about what sb/sth intends to do or achieve.

 

Purpose what sth is supposed to achieve; what sb is trying to achieve: Our campaign’s main purpose is to raise money.
Aim what sb is trying to achieve; what sth is supposed to achieve: She went to London with the aim of finding a job.  | Our main aim is to increase sales in Europe.
Intention what you intend to do: I have no intention of going to the wedding. | She’s full of good intentions but they rarely work out.
Plan what you intend to do or achieve: There are no plans to build new offices.
Point (rather informal) the purpose or aim of sth: What’s the point of all this violence? | The point of the lesson is to compare the two countries.
Idea (rather informal) the purpose of sth; sb’s aim: The whole idea of going was so that we could meet her new boyfriend. | What’s the idea behind this?

 

PURPOSE OR AIM?
Your purpose for doing something is your reason for doing it; your aim is what you want to achieve. Aim can suggest that you are only trying to achieve sth; purpose gives a stronger sense of achievement being certain. Aim can be sb’s aim or the aim of sth. Purpose is more usually the purpose of sth: you can talk about sb’s purpose but that is more formal.

 

INTENTION OR PLAN?
Your intentions are what you want to do, especially in the near future; your plans are what you have decided or arranged to do, often, but not always, in the longer term.

 

POINT OR IDEA?
Point is a more negative word than idea. If you say What’s the point...? you are suggesting that there is no point; if you say What’s the idea...? you are genuinely asking a question. Point, but not idea, is used to talk about things you feel annoyed or unhappy about: There’s no idea in. | I don’t see the idea of...

 

PATTERNS
*with the purpose/aim/intention/idea of doing sth
*sb’s intention/plan to do sth
*to have a(n) purpose/aim/intention/plan/point
*to achieve/fulfil a(n) purpose/aim

 

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Top Tips Abz Ingles - Notes on usage - Synonyms
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See also:

Common Phrasal Verbs Irregular Verbs List
Common Sentences Errors Frequently confused words
Common Clichés Thematic list of Idioms
Common misspellings Phrasal Verbs Particles list
Common Preposition Lista de Términos Gramaticales

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