Its surveillance apparatus is (mostly) in order to monitor

Hi, Language learner,

@Language learner posted:

(1) Its surveillance apparatus is (mostly) to monitor budget deficits in real time, but it could also help to evaluate the future consequences of policy decisions. (with or without "mostly")

(2) This money was (mostly) to tackle youth unemployment. (with or without "mostly")

Q: Do they both mean (infinitive of purpose):

As you know, where context allows "be to" can be used to express future. Sentence (1) can be paraphrased as:

1.a. Its surveillance apparatus will (mostly) monitor budget deficits in real time.

Sentence (2) cannot be thus paraphrased because "tackling" is not an action that can be attributed to money, but to the people who will use that money.

I understand that the meaning you want to express by means of both sentences is one of purpose:

1.b. Its surveillance apparatus is (mostly) intended/designed to monitor budget deficits in real time.

2.b. This money was (mostly) intended/designed to tackle youth unemployment.

"In order to" does not usually work well with the verb "be," except when the subject and be refer to some action mentioned before, for example:

1.c. This (i.e. the use of the surveillance apparatus) is to monitor / in order to monitor budget deficits in real time.

2.c. This (i.e. lending this money) was to tackle / in order to tackle youth unemployment.

@Gustavo, Co-Moderator posted:

1.c. This (i.e. the use of the surveillance apparatus) is to monitor / in order to monitor budget deficits in real time.

Thank you very much for your reply! One last question:

a) The aim of this paper is to clarify the fact that uniform asymptotic stability is equivalent to exponential stability for the half-linear differential system.

b) The purpose of this contribution is to clarify the fact that such algorithms need proper calculation of the update direction in undermodeled situations.

Do they respectively mean: The aim of this paper is in order to clarify ... and The purpose of this contribution is in order to clarify ... ?Or is "to clarify..." acting as an infinitival noun clause in both of them?

@Language learner posted:

a) The aim of this paper is to clarify the fact that uniform asymptotic stability is equivalent to exponential stability for the half-linear differential system.

b) The purpose of this contribution is to clarify the fact that such algorithms need proper calculation of the update direction in undermodeled situations.

Do they respectively mean: The aim of this paper is in order to clarify ... and The purpose of this contribution is in order to clarify ... ?Or is "to clarify..." acting as an infinitival noun clause in both of them?

No, you cannot use "in order to" in those sentences. As I tried to explain to you in my previous post, "in order to" requires an action verb, but "to" will tend to sound more natural:

a.1) This paper has been written (in order) to clarify the fact that uniform asymptotic stability is equivalent to exponential stability for the half-linear differential system.

b.1) This contribution is provided (in order) to clarify the fact that such algorithms need proper calculation of the update direction in undermodeled situations.

@Gustavo, Co-Moderator posted:

No, you cannot use "in order to" in those sentences. As I tried to explain to you in my previous post, "in order to" requires an action verb, but "to" will tend to sound more natural:

But in post #1, you gave this example:

1.c. This (i.e. the use of the surveillance apparatus) is to monitor / in order to monitor budget deficits in real time.

Here "use" is a noun, and not a verb. Am I right? If so, can't I also say:

The aim of something is to do/in order to do something else.

The purpose of something is to do/in order to do something else.

Doesn't "use", "aim" and "purpose" all fall into the same group of "purpose" nouns?

Or is "use" a different type of noun, because there's an action verb, namely "use", corresponding to it?

@Language learner posted:

But in post #1, you gave this example:

1.c. This (i.e. the use of the surveillance apparatus) is to monitor / in order to monitor budget deficits in real time.

Here "use" is a noun, and not a verb.

Yes, that was confusing. I merely used a noun to substitute for "this." However, my intention was to show you (NOT in order to show you) that "this is" and "this was" in those structures referred to the subject and verb mentioned in the previous sentence or clause:

1.d. We recommend using a surveillance apparatus. This (i.e. the fact that we recommend using a surveillance apparatus, or that a surveillance apparatus should be used) is to monitor / in order to monitor budget deficits in real time.

2.d. The Central Bank lent money to the government. This (i.e. the fact that the Central Bank lent money to the government, or that money was lent to the government) was to tackle / in order to tackle youth unemployment.

As you can see, although "this" is a noun phrase, it refers to a subject and predicate, and this is what renders the use of "in order to" possible. I hope this is clearer now.

@Gustavo, Co-Moderator posted:

Yes, that was confusing. I merely used a noun to substitute for "this." However, my intention was to show you (NOT in order to show you) that "this is" and "this was" in those structures referred to the subject and verb mentioned in the previous sentence or clause:

Thank you very much! Just one more question:

As you've said above, the "to-infinitives" in the following sentences do not have "in order to" meaning:

(1) Its surveillance apparatus is (mostly) to monitor budget deficits in real time, but it could also help to evaluate the future consequences of policy decisions. (with or without "mostly")

(2) This money was (mostly) to tackle youth unemployment. (with or without "mostly")

3) The aim of this paper is to clarify the fact that uniform asymptotic stability is equivalent to exponential stability for the half-linear differential system.

4) The purpose of this contribution is to clarify the fact that such algorithms need proper calculation of the update direction in undermodeled situations.

Q: Do you consider the above sentences correct as they stand? If so, how do you understand the "to-infinitivals"? Do you understand them as "infinitival noun clauses", as in: To live is to suffer? Or do you understand them as sort of elliptical constructions, having missing phrases like, "be intended to", or "be designed to" etc., as you suggested in your first post?

@Language learner posted:

(1) Its surveillance apparatus is (mostly) to monitor budget deficits in real time, but it could also help to evaluate the future consequences of policy decisions. (with or without "mostly")

(2) This money was (mostly) to tackle youth unemployment. (with or without "mostly")

3) The aim of this paper is to clarify the fact that uniform asymptotic stability is equivalent to exponential stability for the half-linear differential system.

4) The purpose of this contribution is to clarify the fact that such algorithms need proper calculation of the update direction in undermodeled situations.

Q: Do you consider the above sentences correct as they stand?

Yes, I do.

@Language learner posted:

If so, how do you understand the "to-infinitivals"? Do you understand them as "infinitival noun clauses", as in: To live is to suffer? Or do you understand them as sort of elliptical constructions, having missing phrases like, "be intended to", or "be designed to" etc., as you suggested in your first post?

I find (1) and (2) to be different from (3) and (4).

I understand the infinitival in (1) and (2) to be one of purpose, similar to "for" + V-ing. Syntactically, it's a subject complement of adjectival value:

1.e. Its surveillance apparatus is (mostly) for monitoring budget deficits in real time, but it could also help to evaluate the future consequences of policy decisions. (with or without "mostly")

2.e. This money was (mostly) for tackling youth unemployment. (with or without "mostly")

Instead, the infinitival has nominal value in (3) and (4). Notice that, though a bit awkward, you can use the infinitival as subject:

3.a. To clarify the fact that uniform asymptotic stability is equivalent to exponential stability for the half-linear differential system is the aim of this paper.

4.a. To clarify the fact that such algorithms need proper calculation of the update direction in undermodeled situations is the purpose of this contribution.