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#Post#: 13502--------------------------------------------------
"Try to do" or "try doing"?
By: Nikola Date: March 21, 2019, 6:22 am
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This is going to be something between a question and a rant. I
watched this video about the difference between "try to do" and
"try doing". You don't have to watch the whole video, just have
a little look at the board behind the teacher (it changes for
the second part of the video) because all she says is written
there already.
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e33GLlbpUzM
So I understand what she's saying and I would use these forms
the same way she does in her examples. He tried to... (is was
difficult, he probably failed). Try doing... (a suggestion,
might work - might not). However, I couldn't help noticing that
her "try to" examples were all sentences in the indicative mood
(statements), while her "try doing" sentences were all in the
imperative mood (commands, suggestions). She says one of the
differences between the two is that with "try doing" we don't
know the result. Well, how could we, if it's an imperative
sentence? It always makes me suspicious when someone
consistently uses examples that are not comparable. You get
sentences such as "I tried calling him" or "try to think outside
the box", right? They exist.
So this was the rant part, I don't like how she approaches it
because in a way, it makes me more confused.
Now the question part: Is there any difference between a) I
tried to call him and b) I tried calling him? Is the difference
as she describes - a) I experienced difficulties despite trying
my best vs b) I just tried it because... why not?
And what about c) Try thinking outside the box vs d) Try to
think outside the box? I'm asking because they sound
interchangeable to me. Correct me if I'm wrong.
#Post#: 13503--------------------------------------------------
Re: "Try to do" or "try doing"?
By: NealC Date: March 21, 2019, 6:35 am
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They are interchangeable ways to say the same thing. I kept
puzzling about it, and I think she is falsely making her
argument stronger by using try and tried - tried is past tense
and that throws in a confusing variable.
On a practical level, I don't see a difference in your examples.
#Post#: 13505--------------------------------------------------
Re: "Try to do" or "try doing"?
By: SuKi Date: March 21, 2019, 7:04 am
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Yes, the difference is real. It's all about what the final goal
is.
The confusion comes when there is an overlap in meaning, as with
your example. With your example, both statements basically
amount to the same thing : you wanted to contact him, so you
rang his number. But he didn't answer. In both cases, your sole
aim was to speak to him on the phone and you didn't achieve it.
The upshot is the same, so there is no practical difference.
A better example would be this:
I tried to lose weight.
I tried losing weight.
Here the difference is clearer, I think.
If I say 'I tried to lose weight', it means that I cut out the
chocolate and cookies but I still failed to shed the kilos. My
effort to lose weight was unsuccessful.
If I say 'I tried losing weight', it means that I did lose
weight - but this had no effect in terms of my ultimate goal.
Regardless of my new slim figure, my glamorous makeover and
seductive new wardrobe, my love rat of a husband still wouldn't
stay.
(Just a random scenario)
#Post#: 13506--------------------------------------------------
Re: "Try to do" or "try doing"?
By: Kseniia Date: March 21, 2019, 7:39 am
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[quote author=SuKi link=topic=918.msg13505#msg13505
date=1553169896]
love rat of a husband
[/quote]
Ahh, it's simply brilliant! Can I refer to someone else's
husband this way, too, or would it sound weird? I suppose it
wouldn't be too polite anyway, but it would be a crime to leave
this expression in my passive vocabulary only! [s]I wish I
didn't read this post, I really have to find a way to use it in
real life now...[/s]
#Post#: 13507--------------------------------------------------
Re: "Try to do" or "try doing"?
By: SuKi Date: March 21, 2019, 8:05 am
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[quote author=Kseniia link=topic=918.msg13506#msg13506
date=1553171955]
[quote author=SuKi link=topic=918.msg13505#msg13505
date=1553169896]
love rat of a husband
[/quote]
Ahh, it's simply brilliant! Can I refer to someone else's
husband this way, too, or would it sound weird? I suppose it's
wouldn't be too polite anyway, but it would be a crime to leave
this expression in my passive vocabulary only! [s]I wish I
didn't read this post, I really have to find a way to use it in
real life now...[/s]
[/quote]
I'm not sure anyone would seriously refer to their own spouse as
a 'love rat'. It's pure tabloid journalism - it's a term that
manages to be censorious and admiring at the same time. No
female equivalent, of course.
#Post#: 13508--------------------------------------------------
Re: "Try to do" or "try doing"?
By: Nikola Date: March 21, 2019, 8:40 am
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Great news. So Neal's comment proves I'm not crazy and SuKi's
proves that the lady isn't crazy, either.
@SuKi
Oh my goodness, I just saw the quote under your user name. I'm
still laughing.
Thanks for the explanation. So the difference is more obvious in
some contexts. Let me just check that I get what you're saying:
I tried to lose weight = I tried and failed.
I tried losing weight = I tried (and succeeded to some extent)
but things still didn't work out the way I wanted.
Is it correct?
#Post#: 13509--------------------------------------------------
Re: "Try to do" or "try doing"?
By: SuKi Date: March 21, 2019, 9:17 am
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Yes, that's it.
If you say 'I tried to lose weight', we understand that it's the
losing weight which is the challenge.
In the 'I tried losing weight' scenario, we understand that it's
the keeping hold of the husband that's the challenge. The
weight loss was easy - it was just one of the things I did in a
vain effort to stop him straying. So, yes, things still didn't
work out how you wanted.
That's why the lady on the video is going on about what's hard
or not hard to do.
#Post#: 13510--------------------------------------------------
Re: "Try to do" or "try doing"?
By: Kseniia Date: March 21, 2019, 9:28 am
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[quote author=SuKi link=topic=918.msg13507#msg13507
date=1553173521]...It's pure tabloid journalism
[/quote]
I can't believe you make up all these absurd expressions in your
language and do not use them outside tabloids! What a shame...
#Post#: 13511--------------------------------------------------
Re: "Try to do" or "try doing"?
By: Nikola Date: March 21, 2019, 9:44 am
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@SuKi
It's a matter of focus then. It's whether the action is your
main objective or not. So the same would apply to the imperative
mood.
Try to lose weight. = Losing weight is the main thing you should
focus on. Losing weight is what we're talking about.
Try losing weight. = Losing weight is one of the things that
could help you achieve the thing that we're really talking
about.
And in a negative imperative sentence, you have three options:
Don't try to... Don't try to scare her. =
Don't take any deliberate action to scare her.
Try not to... Try not to scare her. =
Avoid doing something that would scare her, intentionally or
unintentionally.
Try not (gerund) Try not scaring her. = How
about not scaring her this time? You normally scare people.
What do you think? Sorry if this is getting boring :)
#Post#: 13512--------------------------------------------------
Re: "Try to do" or "try doing"?
By: SuKi Date: March 21, 2019, 10:02 am
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[quote author=Nikola link=topic=918.msg13511#msg13511
date=1553179441]
@SuKi
It's a matter of focus then. It's whether the action is your
main objective or not. So the same would apply to the imperative
mood.
Try to lose weight. = Losing weight is the main thing you should
focus on. Losing weight is what we're talking about.
Try losing weight. = Losing weight is one of the things that
could help you achieve the thing that we're really talking
about.
And in a negative imperative sentence, you have three options:
Don't try to... Don't try to scare her. =
Don't take any deliberate action to scare her.
Try not to... Try not to scare her. =
Avoid doing something that would scare her, intentionally or
unintentionally.
Try not (gerund) Try not scaring her. = How
about not scaring her this time? You normally scare people.
What do you think? Sorry if this is getting boring :)
[/quote]
All looks good!
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