In order that / so that: purpose, participants and formal style

Purpose: why someone acts, not what has already succeeded

So that and in order that can introduce a purpose: someone does A with the aim of achieving B. The subordinate clause states the intention; the construction itself does not confirm success.

First establish the intention from the context. Two events occurring close together in time do not automatically mean the first was done for the sake of the second.

We moved the discussion online so that colleagues abroad could join.

Making participation possible was the aim. The sentence does not say whether everyone actually joined.

We sent a reminder in order that everyone would know the revised time, but two people missed it.

An unsuccessful outcome does not cancel the intention expressed earlier.

After that: a subject and a verb

A purpose clause has its own subject: I, you, the team, the documents and so on. After a modal verb, use the base form without to.

The two actions may involve the same participant or different participants. A full subordinate clause makes different participants particularly clear.

How to build it

action + so that / in order that + subject + verb phrase; a modal is followed by the base form without to

subject / S: The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
verb / V: A word for an action or state, such as work or be. The pattern determines its form.
V1 / base form: The base verb without to: work, go, be.
modal: A modal verb expresses meanings such as ability, possibility or necessity: can, may, must.

I left the diagram on the screen so that you could check the figures.

I left the diagram; you were meant to check the figures. Shortening this to in order to check would change the usual interpretation of who checks.

I keep a glossary so that I can use terms consistently.

Having the same subject in both parts does not prevent use of the full construction.

Formality is not a fixed table of permitted modals

So that is much more common. In order that adds a formal, sometimes bookish tone. Both can be appropriate in workplace writing.

May and might often give purpose clauses a formal sound. Should also occurs in formal usage, chiefly British English. However, can, could, will and would are not prohibited after in order that. Choose the modal according to ability, perspective and intention, not a rigid pairing of words.

The records are indexed in order that researchers may locate individual entries.

May expresses purpose in a formal style here; it does not necessarily indicate permission.

We provide a preview in order that you can check the layout before printing.

Can is compatible with in order that: the sentence describes an opportunity being provided.

Time perspective and modal meaning

Can and could often emphasize the possibility of performing an action; will and would emphasize an intended future action or state. After a past action, could, would and might naturally present the purpose from that past viewpoint.

For a future purpose, both the present simple and will are possible after so that. The present simple is also possible after in order that. A modal is not compulsory in every purpose clause.

I'll send the agenda today so that you have time to prepare.

Have refers to the future here; will have is also possible.

The organiser circulated a map so that visitors would know where to go.

Would know presents the intended state from a past viewpoint. It does not prove that the visitors knew.

Negative purpose and the passive

To express the aim of avoiding an unwanted event, put the negative inside the subordinate clause: so that people would not miss…. Negating the main action gives a different meaning.

In a passive, a modal is followed by be + past participle. When changing active to passive, preserve the intended performer if that person or group matters to the meaning.

How to build it

so that / in order that + subject + modal + not + base form; passive: modal + (not) + be + past participle

subject / S: The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
V1 / base form: The base verb without to: work, go, be.
V3 / past participle: The third verb form: worked, gone, seen. Used after have/has or in the passive, for example; it is not always the same as V2.
modal: A modal verb expresses meanings such as ability, possibility or necessity: can, may, must.

We labelled the cables so that they would not be disconnected by mistake.

The labelling happened; disconnection was what the speakers wanted to avoid.

The editor added headings in order that the argument might be followed more easily.

Might be followed is a passive purpose clause, not a report that readers successfully followed the argument.

In order that and in order to have different structures

In order to introduces an infinitive: in order to compare. In order that introduces a full clause: in order that we can compare. The hybrid in order to that forms neither construction.

In a simple active sentence with in order to, the unexpressed performer of the infinitive usually matches the main-clause subject. Do not mechanically shorten a sentence involving different participants. In order for someone to is another option, but this lesson practises that-clauses.

I stayed late in order to finish the summary.

I both stayed and intended to finish. So that I could finish is also possible.

I stayed late in order that the new assistant could leave on time.

A different participant is meant to perform a different action. I stayed late in order to leave on time does not preserve this meaning.

So that can also introduce a result

So that can mean as a result, without expressing anyone’s intention. In order that does not have this result meaning.

Context matters more than a single comma or modal verb. If an event is explicitly accidental, do not attribute an intention to someone. Also distinguish this conjunction from the degree pattern so + adjective + that.

A fallen tree blocked the lane, so that delivery vans could not get through.

This is a result, not the tree’s purpose. Replacing so that with in order that would distort the meaning.

We kept the lane clear so that delivery vans could get through.

Here, people deliberately make passage possible.

Your own writing: audience, intention and accuracy

For an everyday remark, so that is usually enough. Informal speech often omits that after so; this is not automatically an error.

An initial subordinate clause can emphasize the purpose: In order that…, we…. In an official message, clarity about the participants and intention matters more than choosing the longest conjunction. In open-ended responses, a model answer is a guide for checking your work, not the only possible wording.

In order that all applicants have equal access to the information, we will publish the answers online.

An initial purpose clause and the present simple are both compatible with formal writing.

I'll move my bag so you can sit down.

Without that, the remark is natural and informal. The full so that is also correct.

Common mistakes

Incorrect:We updated the guide in order to that newcomers could follow it.

Correct:We updated the guide in order that newcomers could follow it.

Before the subject newcomers and verb phrase could follow, use in order that, without the extra to.

Incorrect:I enlarged the chart so that everyone could to read it.

Correct:I enlarged the chart so that everyone could read it.

Could is followed by the base form read, not to read.

Incorrect:The labels were added so that each item could be identify.

Correct:The labels were added so that each item could be identified.

This passive purpose clause needs could be + past participle: identified.

Incorrect:We sent the notes so that the assistant could checks the details.

Correct:We sent the notes so that the assistant could check the details.

Could already occupies the finite verb position. Check does not take an -s ending.

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