Prepositions 'pour' and 'sans' with an Infinitive in French
This section explains Prepositions 'pour' and 'sans' with an Infinitive in French. In French, the prepositions pour and sans are commonly used before an infinitive verb to express purpose, intention, and certain conditions. Understanding how these prepositions work with an infinitive verb is key to mastering French grammar.
The Preposition 'pour' with an Infinitive
The preposition pour is used to express purpose, intention, or a goal. It is equivalent to the English “to” or “in order to” when it precedes an infinitive verb.
Structure:
- pour + infinitive verb (to + verb / in order to + verb)
Common Uses of 'pour' with an Infinitive:
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| pour + infinitive | in order to / to + verb | Je travaille pour gagner de l'argent. | I work to earn money. |
| pour + infinitive | for the purpose of + verb | Elle étudie pour devenir médecin. | She studies to become a doctor. |
| pour + infinitive | to (in order to) | Nous allons au cinéma pour voir un film. | We are going to the cinema to watch a film. |
| pour + infinitive | to, for (a reason or goal) | Il fait du sport pour être en forme. | He does sport to stay fit. |
Examples with 'pour':
- Je mange pour vivre.
- Translation: I eat to live.
- Ils partent pour apprendre le français.
- Translation: They leave to learn French.
- Elle se couche tôt pour être en forme le matin.
- Translation: She goes to bed early to be in good shape in the morning.
The Preposition 'sans' with an Infinitive
The preposition sans is used to express absence or lack of something when doing an action. It is equivalent to the English “without” when it precedes an infinitive verb.
Structure:
- sans + infinitive verb (without + verb)
Common Uses of 'sans' with an Infinitive:
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| sans + infinitive | without + verb | Il est parti sans dire au revoir. | He left without saying goodbye. |
| sans + infinitive | without doing something | Nous avons mangé sans attendre les autres. | We ate without waiting for the others. |
| sans + infinitive | without + verb | Elle a réussi sans étudier. | She succeeded without studying. |
| sans + infinitive | without + verb | Il a joué sans se soucier des règles. | He played without caring about the rules. |
Examples with 'sans':
- Je pars sans dire au revoir.
- Translation: I leave without saying goodbye.
- Ils ont mangé sans payer.
- Translation: They ate without paying.
- Elle a quitté la maison sans fermer la porte.
- Translation: She left the house without closing the door.
Key Differences Between 'pour' and 'sans' with an Infinitive
- 'pour' + infinitive is used to express purpose or intention. It indicates the reason for performing an action.
- Example: Je vais pour apprendre le français. (I am going to learn French).
- 'sans' + infinitive is used to indicate absence of something when performing an action. It highlights that the action is done without something being involved.
- Example: Elle a chanté sans se tromper. (She sang without making a mistake).
Higher Tier Examples:
At the Higher Tier, you may encounter more complex sentences using pour and sans with infinitives, often involving multiple actions or more abstract ideas.
Examples:
- Il a étudié pendant des heures pour réussir à son examen.
- Translation: He studied for hours to succeed in his exam.
- Ils sont partis sans dire où ils allaient.
- Translation: They left without saying where they were going.
- Elle a couru pour arriver à l’heure, mais elle a raté son train sans le savoir.
- Translation: She ran to arrive on time, but she missed her train without knowing.
- Nous avons pris un taxi pour ne pas être en retard, mais nous avons oublié d’acheter des billets sans y penser.
- Translation: We took a taxi to avoid being late, but we forgot to buy tickets without thinking about it.
Summary of Key Points:
- 'pour' is used with an infinitive to express purpose, intention, or goal (equivalent to "to" or "in order to").
- Example: Je vais pour manger. (I am going to eat.)
- 'sans' is used with an infinitive to show that an action is done without doing something (equivalent to "without").
- Example: Elle a fait son travail sans se presser. (She did her work without hurrying.)
- Practice using both prepositions in different contexts to become comfortable with expressing purpose and absence in French!
These notes cover Foundation and Higher Tier examples, so they should help with a wide range of questions you may encounter in your GCSE French exam.
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