purpose是一个常见常用词，它的常见意思及考试中的考点值得我们学习和注意。
1.purpose作为名词有四个常见的意思，即“意图；目的；用途；目标”。比如：
The purpose of industry is to create wealth.勤劳的目的是致富。Our campaign's main purpose is to raise money.我们这次活动的主要目的就是募款。
What's the main purpose of this article? 这篇文章的主要目的是什么？I had no inkling of his real purpose until much later.直到后来很久我才略微知道他的真实目的。
We are working together for a common purpose.我们在为一个共同的目标一起工作。They might well be prepared to do you harm in order to achieve their purpose.他们很可能有备而来伤害你，以实现其目标。
The money was collected for a specific purpose.这笔钱是为一个特定用途而收的。The main purpose of industry is to create wealth.工业的主要宗旨是创造财富。
2.purpose构成的短语on purpose的意思是“故意，有意”。它是这个单词常考的考点。比如：
I got him angry on purpose.我故意气他一下。Emily drops the water on purpose.艾米丽是故意洒水的。
I'm sure you didn't do it on purpose and it can't be helped.我肯定你不是故意这样做的，这也是没办法的事。
He did it on purpose, knowing it would annoy her.他明知会激怒她，却故意那么做。Was it an accident or did David do it on purpose? 这是个意外呢，还是戴维故意干的？
3.在表示做某事的目的时，常用 on purpose to do something 或者 for the purpose of doing something。
另外，purpose前面有my、his等物主代词时，它的后面要跟介词in，不能跟of。如果purpose前面有定冠词the，那purpose后面则跟介词of，不能跟in。比如：This is my purpose in going there. What is the purpose of going there?去那里的目的是什么？
再有，purpose前面的介词容易误用。比如：What purpose did you do that?应改为 For what purpose did you do that?或 What is your purpose in doing that?
