I got up early for him to eat a healthful breakfast.

Question

1. I got up early so that he could(can) eat a healthful breakfast. [He ate breakfast/He didn't eat breakfast yet.]
2. I got up early for him to eat a healthful breakfast.

I'd like to know whether I can rephrase #1 to #2.
Thank you in advance for your help.

GPY · Accepted Answer

I got up early so that he could/can eat a healthy breakfast.

Do you mean that you have to prepare his breakfast?

(2) doesn't sound right.

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you, GPY, for your answer and correction of my example.

(2) doesn't sound right.

Then can I use this "I got up early to eat a healthy breakfast."?

GPY · Answer

park sang joonThen can I use this "I got up early to eat a healthy breakfast."?

Yes, but of course it doesn't mean the same as (1).

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you, GPY, for your continuing support.

Then, can't I use to-infinitive when the subject of to-infinitive is different from the subject of a main cluase?
Or by any chance, can I use this "I got up early him to eat a healthy breakfast."?

GPY · Answer

park sang joonThen, can't I use to-infinitive when the subject of to-infinitive is different from the subject of a main cluase?

Considering cases similar to your example, some work better than others. For example, "I prepared breakfast for him to eat" and "He wrote a proposal for me to look at" seem acceptable. I guess these have the object in the first part though.

There are other cases, such as "I told him to go" or "He helped me to find work", which seem less similar to your example.

park sang joonOr by any chance, can I use this "I got up early him to eat a healthy breakfast."?

No.

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you, GPY, for your very detailed answer.

"I prepared breakfast for him to eat"/"He wrote a proposal for me to look at"

I think when I use to-infinitive adjectivally, I can arbitrarily use the subject of to-infinitive; am I right?

No.

I'd like to know how come the following sentence is right.
"Hundreds of thousands more were expelled, many of them to die in the camps."
<http://culture.polishsite.us/articles/art311fr.htm>

GPY · Answer

park sang joonI think when I use to-infinitive adjectivally, I can arbitrarily use the subject of to-infinitive; am I right?

Do you mean "arbitrarily choose the subject"?

In ordinary adjectival use, e.g. "There are many problems to solve", the subject is implied by the context. I am not sure that my sentences "I prepared breakfast for him to eat" and "He wrote a proposal for me to look at" are examples of adjectival use. However, in sentences like that you can normally put any noun before the infinitive, provided it makes sense, obviously.

park sang joonI'd like to know how come the following sentence is right."Hundreds of thousands more were expelled, many of them to die in the camps."<http://culture.polishsite.us/articles/art311fr.htm>

You mean how come that's OK and "I got up early him to eat a healthy breakfast" isn't? For various reasons, I guess, such as that you have "him" not "he", there is no comma, and the first part of the sentence doesn't lead properly to the second. Another difference is that, as far as I can tell, you seem to intend "to" in the "breakfast" sentence to mean "in order to", whereas in the "camps" sentence it doesn't.

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you, GPY, very much for your continuing to answer.

Do you mean "arbitrarily choose the subject"?

Thank for your correction.

However, in sentences like that you can normally put any noun before the infinitive, provided it makes sense, obviously.

I see.

I'd like to know whether or not all these following examples is right where each to-infinitive is used adverbially.
3) This box is too heavy for her to lift.
4) I was very glad for her to call in at home.
5) I wouldn't stand any more for her to lie this time too.

Another difference is that, as far as I can tell, you seem to intend "to" in the "breakfast" sentence to mean "in order to", whereas in the "camps" sentence it doesn't.

How about the following?; I think each to-infinitive in these examples expresses "purpose" like "in order to~" or "so as to~," even though each to-infinitive is split with the main clause by a comma.
6) A significant proportion of South Africa's neighboring states have migrated to South Africa, many to work.
< MIGRATION POLICY INSTITUTE http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/south-africa-policy-face-xenophobia>
7) As recently as the 1980s, young Irish were fleeing unemployment in droves, many to work illegally in the United States.
<The New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/world/europe/25ireland.html?pagewanted=print&_r=0>

GPY · Answer

park sang joonI'd like to know whether or not all these following examples is right where each to-infinitive is used adverbially.3) This box is too heavy for her to lift.4) I was very glad for her to call in at home.5) I wouldn't stand any more for her to lie this time too.

(3) is fine. The other two don't work.

park sang joonHow about the following?; I think each to-infinitive in these examples expresses "purpose" like "in order to~" or "so as to~," even though each to-infinitive is split with the main clause by a comma.6) A significant proportion of South Africa's neighboring states have migrated to South Africa, many to work.< MIGRATION POLICY INSTITUTE http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/south-africa-policy-face-xenophobia>7) As recently as the 1980s, young Irish were fleeing unemployment in droves, many to work illegally in the United States.

(6) means "in order to". Strictly speaking, I question whether you can flee unemployment in order to work, but perhaps this quibble is too fussy for the author's purpose, and "in order to" was also intended in (7).

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you, GPY, for your continuing support and patience with my badgering.

(3) is fine. The other two don't work.

Then, I was very wondering what case I can choose the subject of to-infinitive used adverbially in.
Please enlighten me, GPY.

I got up early for him to eat a healthful breakfast.

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