This money is to pay

Question

Can one saya. This money is to pay the plumber.a1. This money is for paying the plumber.b. This letter is to send to John.b1. This letter is for sending to John.c. This switch is to turn on the fan.c1. This switch is for turning on the fan.?Many thanks.

Deadrat · Accepted Answer

a and a1 are both acceptable, as are c and c1. That's because both the money and the switch are performing functions -- money pays and switches turn on appliances.

b and b1 aren't idiomatic because the function of a letter isn't its delivery. You need to use a verb to indicate purpose, so you could say

"This letter is to inform John" or "This letter is for informing John."

Azz · Answer

Thank you very much,

So you would say that in 'This money is to pay the plumber' it is the money that is doing the paying, right? The implied subject of 'to pay' is 'this money', not the person who is going to do the paying.

Another question:
Could one say

a2. This money is for you to pay the plumber.

I think that sentence is correct but does not mean that you have to pay this money to the plumber. It means the money is given to you so that you can pay the plumber. It is assumed that you have to pay the plumber, but the sentence is not imposing an obligation of the listener. It is spoken by someone who seems to want to help the listener out.

Many thanks.

Deadrat · Answer

azz, No, forgive my clumsiness. There are two parts to payment -- handing over money and exchanging money for something valuable like a plumber's service. The two acts are so closely related that we use "pay" for both. So a person pays the plumber (hands him money) and the money induces the plumber to fix the plumbing. The latter is the purpose of the money, just like the switch has the purpose of turning on the appliance. Is that clearer?

The grammar cannot tell you whether the person giving the money expects the plumber to be paid. That depends on the context. If you're giving money to your agent because you can't be around to give it to the plumber yourself, then you almost certainly mean that paying the plumber is mandatory. If you're giving a gift to a person because you've heard he needs his plumbing fixed, then you can expect but not demand the person spend it on plumbing.

Azz · Answer

Thank you very much.

There is nothing to forgive! There was no clumsiness. The situation is complicated, that's all!!

It just got a bit more complicated for me and that means I am learning something.

a. This money is to pay the plumber.
a2. This money is for you to pay the plumber.

I see three possibilities:

1. I want the plumber to be paid for services rendered, or to be rendered to me and am charging you to do it

2. I am giving a gift to the plumber and am charging you to do it
3. I am giving the money to you so that you'll be able to pay the plumber for the services he renders to you
(a father gives money to his son and says this is so you can pay your plumber)

Would you say that (a) and (a1) can both be used in the three situations?

Basically it boils down to
I am telling you you have to give this money to the plumber.
I am giving you this money so you can pay the plumber. I am not telling you you have to do it.

Many thanks.

This money is to pay

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