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deleted 4 characters in body
Mari-Lou A
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In order to play you need ability, so it's quite natural to say:

(i) I can play (soccer). (ii) I can't play (soccer) (iii) I can play soccer with a ball (iv) I can't play soccer without a ball.

Likewise it is possible to use the modal can with the verb buy

(i) I can buy. (ii) I can't buy (Note that we are speaking about the ability to buy, no object is required, sentences (i) and (ii) stand on their own feet.) (iii) I can buy food. (iv) I can buy food with money. (v) I can't buy food without money

to have no + object

  1. I have no money. [to do with what?]
  2. I have no money with which to buy [to buy what?]
  3. I have no money with which to buy food. [outdated]
  4. I have no money to buy food with. [the same meaning as 3.]
  5. I have no money to buy food. [grammatical]

To specify that you buy food with money is a bit tautological. Can sentence 5 stand alone? Yes, it can.


  1. I have no ball [to do with what?]
  2. I have no ball with which to play [to play what?]
  3. I have no ball with which to play soccer. [outdated]
  4. I have no ball to play soccer with. [modern]

Delete soccer and we're left with

  1. I have no ball to play with

In #2. which refers to ball. If the object of the sentence was friend then whom could be used.

  1. I have no friend with whom to play.

This is quite formal and some may find it pompous and artificial. Nowadays it is more common to hear:

  1. I have no friend to play with.

The preposition with refers to the friend. You play with a friend. Similarly you can play soccer with a friend. You don't play with soccer; e.g. *I play with soccer. [NO] However, you play soccer with a ball. Here with tells us that a ball is used in order to play soccer. E.g. I write with a pen. But I could also write with a pencil, biro, marker, penknife etc. If I have no pen, I say:

  1. *I have no pen to write [for what?]
  2. I have no pen to write with

In #2. the sentence sounds incomplete.

with
10. a. By the means or agency of: eat with a fork; made us laugh with his jokes.

Mari-Lou A
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