What is the reason that this sentence sounds unnatural?

Question

1. "My cat is sleeping in the box to be used for my work"

I hope I will get an answer of why the above sentence sounds wrong.

I have asked some native speakers about the sentence.

Some said the sentence is wrong because of "to be used for my work", and the rest said it's not wrong, only "to be used" sounds overly formal.

But my guess is that the sentence is totally wrong because the sentence can mean either "In order to be used for my work, my cat is sleeping in the box " or "My cat is sleeping in the box that is going to be used for my work".

Because of this same reason, I think the below sentences don't work.

2. My cat scratched the box to be used for my work.

(In order to be used for my work, my cat scratched the box???)

3. My cat is sleeping in the box to throw away into the bin.

(In order to throw away into the bin, my cat is sleeping in the box???)

But interestingly, the belows seem to work, although there is still an ambiguous point.

4. They're checking passengers to board the airplane.

(In this case, maybe because the context is so clear as not to make it likely to sound like "In order to board the airplane, they're checking passengers)

5. There are still a lot of trashes to throw away.

6. She will bring some boxes to use for the work.

I want to know whether I'm right.

GPY · Accepted Answer

fire11. "My cat is sleeping in the box to be used for my work"

I don't think this is actually wrong, or overly formal, just slightly awkward.

fire1"My cat is sleeping in the box that is going to be used for my work".

This is the only plausible interpretation.

fire12. My cat scratched the box to be used for my work.

Similar acceptability to (1).

fire13. My cat is sleeping in the box to throw away into the bin.

This does not work well. I would not really accept this sentence.

fire14. They're checking passengers to board the airplane.

This doesn't work for me.

fire15. There is still a lot of trash to throw away.

Fine.

fire16. She will bring some boxes to use for the work.

OK, but check whether you mean "work" or "the work".

Anonymous · Answer

fire1
anonymousTo me, that's exactly what I understood when I read it in the first time.
So do you agree with me because the sentence sounds ambiguous, the sentence should be rephrased like your sentences?

I'm not a specialist, by the way. What I'll clarify is just my opinion.

fire11. "My cat is sleeping in the box to be used for my work"I hope I will get an answer of why the above sentence sounds wrong.I have asked some native speakers about the sentence.Some said the sentence is wrong because of "to be used for my work", and the rest said it's not wrong, only "to be used" sounds overly formal.But my guess is that the sentence is totally wrong because the sentence can mean either "In order to be used for my work, my cat is sleeping in the box " or "My cat is sleeping in the box that is going to be used for my work".

Read carefully what I am going to write in order to understand my point well. I'm not saying your original sentence is wrong. Grammatically, no one says it's wrong. As a meaning it's not wrong IF that were REALLY what you meant. Ask yourself what's the purpose of your sentence? I mean, what do you want others to understand?

If you wanted to be clear and to avoid any possibility of misunderstanding to your terms, then you would take into consideration how others could think of your sentence. Let me take the first sentence as an example.

1-"My cat is sleeping in the box to be used for my work."

To me, when I read it in the first time, I understood of this sentence that you are working in a job that needs animals or a cat in someway. And you are going to use that cat for your work. Whatever was this job, and how would you use your cat in it. I don't know. I would have wonders about it in myself but all that doesn't matter.

If that's exactly what you meant, then your sentence is clear and correct grammatically as a meaning too.

If what you meant were otherwise (like the box is going to be used for your work not the cat), then I see it's better to rephrase it to avoid others from thinking the other way. Like that, you would guarantee that you wouldn't be misunderstood. As long as there is a possibility for some people to misunderstand it due to the way it's written, it's better to rephrase it. It's not about being wrong or right, it's about being direct and clear.

2-"My cat is sleeping in the box to be thrown away into the bin."

It's the same, I understood that the cat is going to be thrown away into the bin. That's why it's meant to sleep in that a specific box.

If that exactly what you meant, then it's correct and clear. If otherwise, then it's for your favor to rephrase it because there is a strong possibility that someone else would have the same thinking (like me).

The teacher said there is a common sense. So, others are supposed to already understand it. I agree. But in those particular examples, the question asked, is it impossible to happen the other way?

Is it impossible for someone to let his cat sleep in a box in order to be used for work?

Is impossible that someone would put his cat in the box in order to throw it into the bin?

Regardless whether it's cruel, not good, but it's not impossible to happen at the end.

What is the reason that this sentence sounds unnatural?

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