“for 宾语 不定式”是英语中一个十分有用的结构，不仅在阅读理解中经常出现，而且，如果同学们在书面表达中能巧妙地运用它，将会增添文章亮点，提高文章的档次。为帮助同学们正确理解和掌握这一结构，本文对这一结构的用法作了一个全面的归纳，同时，对于其使用上应注意的地方也给出了详细的说明。
一、“for 宾语 不定式”的句法功能
1. 用作主语
For you to ask Joe would be a big mistake. 你要是去问乔，那将是一大错误。
For Ann to go to France would make me very happy. 安要是到法国去将使我感到很高兴。
注：这类结构通常会借助形式主语来表达，即在句首使用形式主语，而将真正用作主语的“for 宾语 不定式”结构移至句末。如：
It’s too expensive for me to buy. 太贵了，我买不起。
It’s impossible for me to leave my family. 我是不可能离开家的。
It’s impossible for the job to be finished in time. 这项任务要按时完成是不可能的。
It’s an honour for me to be asked to speak here. 我很荣幸被邀在这里讲话。
It’s a new experience for her to be travelling by plane. 坐飞机对她是—次新经历。
It’ll take time for her to recover from the illness. 她的病要很长时间才能痊愈。
It took twenty minutes for the smoke to clear. 过了20分钟烟才散完。
2. 用作表语
It is for you to decide. 该由你来决定。
His idea is for us to travel in separate cars. 他的意思是我们不要同乘一辆汽车。
Our aim is for students to learn as quickly as possible. 我们的目的是让学生尽快学到东西。
All I want is for us to be together. 我希望的只是我们能在一起。
The simplest thing is for him to resign. 最简单的办法是他辞职。
3. 用作宾语
She hates for people to feel sad. 她不愿看到人们忧心忡忡。
They didn’t mean for her to read the letter. 他们并未打算让她看那封信。
I would like for you to stay as long as you want. 我希望你留下来，想留多久就留多久。
注：这类结构用作宾语的情形主要见于非正式的美国英语中，且主要限于like, hate, mean, intend等少数动词。不过，当有形式宾语时，这类结构用作宾语的情况倒是很普遍(注意形式宾语的使用)。如：
He made it very difficult for us to refuse. 他弄得我们很难拒绝。
I thought it strange for her to be out so late. 她这么晚还不回来，我觉得有些奇怪。
4．用作定语
It’s time for everybody to go to bed. 是大家睡觉的时候了。
There’s nothing for the cats to eat. 猫没有东西可吃了。
Have you got something for me to do? 你给我找了什么事做吗?
All that remains for me to do is to say goodbye. 剩下我所要做的就是告辞了。
5. 用作同位语
He gave orders for one million military personnel to demobilize. 他命令100万军人复员。
6. 用作状语
(1) 目的状语。如：
I can’t wait for them to finish talking. 我不能等到他们把话谈完。
She opened the door for me to come in. 她开门让我进去。
She looked up and nodded for me to come in. 她抬起头来，并点头让我进去。
or sales to increase, we must lower our prices. 为了增加销量，我们必须降低价格。
(2) 结果状语。如：
The print is too small for me to read without glasses. 印刷字体太小，我不带眼镜就看不清。
I wish you’d write clearly enough for us to read it. 但愿你能写得清楚点，我们好能看明白。
(3) 条件状语。如：
How would it do for me to write to him? 我来给他写信如何?
(4) 比较状语。如：
There’s nothing worse than for a person to ill-treat a child. 没有什么比虐待小孩更恶劣的了。
(5) 原因状语。如：
They made it difficult for me to see her. 他们从中作梗，让我不易见到她。
二、“for 宾语 不定式”的用法注意
1. 其中的不定式有时可以是进行式。如：
It’s a new experience for her to be travelling by plane. 坐飞机对她是—次新经历。
2. 其中的不定式有时可以是被动式。如：
It is essential for him to be prepared for this. 有必要让他对此有所准备。
3. 能用于it’s adj. for sb to do sth的形容词不多，主要的有bad, bold, clever, common, honest, necessary, nice, normal, pointless, rare, (all) right, rude, sensible, stupid, tactful, thoughtful, typical, unimportant, unusual, vital, wise, wrong等。但是请注意：likely和probable不这样用。如：
她可能今晚到。
正：She’s likely to arrive this evening.
误：It’s likely for her to arrive this evening.
她很可能会发脾气。
正：It’s probable that she’ll be in a bad temper.
正：She’ll probably be in a bad temper.
误：It’s probable for her to be in a bad temper.
4. 该结构中的介词for原则上不能换成to，但在某些特殊结构中可以换成to。如：
The policeman signed for [to] me to stop. 警察打手势叫我停下。
It will be convenient for [to] me to see you this evening. 今晚去见你，我很方便。
注：能这样用to代替for的结构只限于sign to [for], be convenient for [to]等少数情形。
5. 在通常情况下，其中的不定式不能换成动名词。如：
你能不能安排在周一把货送到?
正：Can you arrange for the goods to be delivered on Monday?
误：Can you arrange for the goods being delivered on Monday?