"In order to" vs "the better"

[Tom]

Hi

Please look at this discussion.

In your original sentence and also in MM’s Little Red Riding Hood sentence, “the better” also has the sense of “in order to (do something better/more easily)”

[color=blue]Why do you want to wear that shirt? The better to keep cool.

So, can I use “the better” this way in everyday English?

Father: Why aren’t you in bed?
Son: The better to study.

Thanks in advance,

Tom

[Mister_Micawber]

.
It is grammatically fine. I find it slightly dated or literary. It would read a little better in this dialogue:

Father: Why is your textbook propped against your computer?
Son: The better to study.
.

[MrPedantic]

Hello Tom,

The response “the better to do XYZ” usually relates to a “why” question about your manner of (or reason for) doing something, e.g.

1. “Why are you doing X?” “The better to do Y.”

Usually, “doing X” does not make sense to the speaker, which is why he asks the question. I would also say that the question tends to be positive in this structure (thus not e.g. “Why aren’t you doing X”). For these reasons, it wouldn’t be appropriate in the case of “not being in bed”.

The Red Riding Hood structure is slightly different, and relates to a comment about X:

2. “What big X you have, grandma!” “All the better to do Y.”

But both forms have the pattern “surprise + justification” in common.

(I wouldn’t myself use this structure in everyday English; it sounds a little literary.)

Best wishes,

MrP