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"Try And" or "Try To"?
Should I write "try and" or "try to"?
If you're writing something formal, use "try to." If you're writing something informal, you can safely use "try and." (In informal writing, you can use whichever one sounds most natural to you.)
More about "Try And" and "Try To"
Many writers question their natural inclination to use "try and" instead of "try to." In fact, both versions are acceptable, but "try to" is definitely the better option for a formal document.The phrase "try and" is a colloquialism (a familiar expression used mostly in informal speech). Some even classify it as an idiom (a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words).
Classifying "try and" as either a colloquialism or an idiom removes the need to defend it from a grammatical perspective. In essence, supporters of "try and" do not claim it is grammatical but simply that it's an acceptable term through common usage.
A Sense of Positivity with "Try And"
"Try and" is definitely more informal, but, for many, it sounds more natural. As a result, "try and" carries a sense of positivity that "try to" lacks. In other words, "try and" carries a message with a subtle connotation of a trait like friendship, luck, or assurance. "Try to" is more neutral. This is not a well-recognized distinction between the two terms, but it is touched upon by most of the leading grammar references.If this subtle sense of positivity and the naturalness of "try and" outweigh the risk that some grammarians might sneer at you, then go for "try and." If you don't want to take this risk or you need to be formal, use "try to."
Why Is "Try To" Grammatical?
Let's dissect the following sentence:- We try to imagine the waves.
Is "Try And" Ungrammatical?
So, is "try and" ungrammatical? Well, mostly yes, but sometimes no. It's complicated.Let's dissect this sentence:
- We try and imagine the waves. (From a classic structural perspective, this sentence has two finite verbs. (In other words, it has a compound predicate.) This means the subject ("We") is performing two verbs: "to try" and "to imagine." If you had two actions in mind, then this sentence would be perfectly grammatical. The key point, however, is that users of "try and" - usually - are not describing two actions. They're usually describing one.)
- Go and ask for help.
- Come and see the tattooed man.
- Stop and chat for a while.
Let's nail this point. Look at these three examples:
Example 1 (Two actions with "try and")
- I will try and win.
- I will try to win.
- I will try and win.
(formally)
(colloquially)
(This sentence, which also means the same as "I will try winning," is ungrammatical. It is, however, colloquially acceptable.)
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