（1）I get up early in order to catch a bus.
（2）I get up early because I can catch a bus.
How to ask a question according to “in order to catch a bus ” and "because I can catch a bus"?
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When you say "catch up with a bus", do you mean "catch a bus"? "catch up with a bus" would be like if you were chasing it in your car or running after it.– user3169Commented May 8, 2014 at 6:23
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@user3169 Yes, you are right. I will correct it.Thanks.– user48070Commented May 8, 2014 at 6:24
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"I get up early because I can catch a bus," though grammatical, it is a weird sentence. It sounds like "getting up early" is a consequence of "being able to catch a bus". Perhaps, you wanted to say "because I want to catch a bus".– Damkerng T.Commented May 8, 2014 at 12:44
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3 Answers
"I get up early, because I need to catch the 7AM bus" - because answers the question "why?" The subclause gives a reason for the main clause.
"I get up early, in order to catch the 7AM bus" - The main clause is done so that the subclause can be satisfied - the subclause is somehow desired/required.
"in order to" can be converted to a "because", usually by adding a "want"/"will"/"need"/"must" etc.
The other way round is not always the case: "I did not go to school because I was sick" - here we cannot use "in order to" since there is no goal or purpose
A because B - B leads to A
A in order to B - B is the goal, and requires A
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I did not go to school in order to rest and recover from my illness. Commented May 8, 2014 at 15:59
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@CoolHandLouis sure, but you can't say "I did not go to school in order to... I was sick". The equivalent to your sentence with because would be "I did not go to school because i wanted/had to/needed rest and recover from my illness."– msamCommented May 9, 2014 at 7:03
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Nice observation @msam1! Perhaps the one-way conversion is because we're limiting our sentence form: "I did X because <reason>" & "I did Z in order to <goal>". Then one can substitute "I did Z because I wanted/needed to achieve <goal>". Or more generally, "I did Z in order to <goal> because I wanted/needed to achieve <goal>", where "wanted/needed to" is a universal "reason" behind all human actions. Is this applicable universally to all sentences containing "in order to"? I doubt it... but I don't have a counter-example at this time! Commented May 9, 2014 at 10:48
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What do you want to achieve by getting up early? I get up early in order to catch the morning bus.
What is your reason for wanting to get up early? I get up early because if I don't, I will miss the morning bus.
Note that the question can really the same: why? The difference is how the answer is worded:
- Why do you X? I do X in order to .
- Why do you X? I do X because of .
I think your intended answers are based on the fact that you must catch the morning bus to arrive to work on time. - I get up early in order to catch the morning bus. - I get up early because if I don't, I'll miss the morning buss. - I get up early so I can make it to work on time. - I get up early because I want to make it to work on time.
Following is a bunch of examples. I'm not sure if it's just me, but it seems that often the "because" answer is kind of worded in the opposite sense of the "in order to answer". It seems like "because" is the driving force or reason, and "in order to" is a goal state. Also, the "in order to" answer seems more cold/clinical/unemotional/to-the-point while the "because" has more emotion and a broader set of reasons. I don't know if this is just me though:
- Why do you eat hamburgers? I eat hamburgers because I like hamburgers.
- Why do you eat hamburgers? I eat hamburgers because [I'm trying | I want | I need] to gain weight.
Why do you eat hamburgers? I eat hamburgers in order to gain weight.
Why are you eating hamburgers right now? Because their only $1 each.
- Why are you eating hamburgers right now? In order to save money; they're only $1 each.
Why are you eating hamburgers right now? Because [I want | I need] to save money, and their only $1 each.
Why do you eat food? I eat food in order to live. Note how well "in order to" answers an abstract question.
- Why do you eat food? I eat food because I need to eat food in order to live. Not a great answer.
- Why do you eat food? I eat food because if I don't, I will starve to death. Because is using the opposite sense to mean the same thing.
- Why do you eat food? I eat food in order to avoid starving to death. In order to sounds more awkward this way than the first line.
- Why do you eat food? I eat food because I get hungry. Because is more simple here, based on base emotion or desire.
Why do you eat food? I eat food in order to satisfy my hunger. In order to has to carefully consider the goal state.
Why do you watch James Bond movies? I watch James Bond movies because I like James Bond.
- Why do you watch movies? I watch movies in order to gain enjoyment. In order to is more cold/passive way of describing things.
Why do you watch movies? I watch movies because it's fun.
Why do you smoke? I smoke because I'm addicted to nicotine.
- Why do you smoke? I smoke in order to satisfy my nicotine cravings.
- Why are you trying to quit smoking? I'm trying to quit smoking because smoking is bad for me.
- What are you trying to quit smoking? I'm trying to quit smoking in order to get more healthy.
answered May 8, 2014 at 16:23
Because of (or on account of) what circumstance do you get up early?
is a question that (2) can answer, but (1) cannot. This takes advantage of the fact that in (2) you are indicating both a reason to get up early, and also a fact -- namely, that there is a bus to take (I 'can' catch a bus implies that there is a bus to take).
In (1) you might try to get up early to catch a bus, without expecting that one is very likely to be there. You might think there's only a fifty-fifty chance.
By contrast, I don't think that there is any question that (1) answers that (2) doesn't also answer. The reason is that (2) has 'extra information' but otherwise implicitly indicates a purpose, just like (1).
