"Try TO do" = attempt to do something (effort): "I tried to open the file but it was corrupted" (I attempted but could not). "Try DOING" = try doing something as an experiment to see if it works: "Try restarting the server" (do it and see if it helps). The difference is subtle but changes the meaning.
TRY + TO + INFINITIVE: expresses an ATTEMPT or EFFORT toward a goal. The subject WANTS to achieve something and makes an effort to do so. The result can be positive OR negative. "I tried to call you but the line was busy" (I attempted, result: negative — did not succeed). "She tried to negotiate a better deal" (she attempted — may or may not have secured better terms). "We are trying to complete the project on time" (still in progress). DIFFICULTY is part of TRY TO: the construction implies the goal is not trivial or there is some obstacle. "I tried to explain the situation" implies explaining was not straightforward. COGNITIVE VERBS with TRY TO: try to understand / try to remember / try to imagine. CONTINUOUS FORM: TRYING TO is frequent: "She is trying to finalise the report."
The negotiations team tried to reach a mutually acceptable settlement before the scheduled arbitration date, but the significant gap between the two parties' positions made a pre-hearing agreement impossible.
We have been trying to identify the root cause of the performance degradation for several days, but the intermittent nature of the issue has made systematic debugging particularly challenging.
Please try to submit your revised proposal by Thursday afternoon at the latest, as the evaluation committee is scheduled to begin its assessment process on Friday morning and we would like to ensure that your submission is included.
TRY + -ING (GERUND): expresses EXPERIMENTING with an action as a possible solution or alternative. The subject TRIES doing something to see if it works or solves a problem — the outcome is uncertain and that is precisely what the action is meant to discover. "Try restarting the computer" (do it to see if it fixes the problem). "Have you tried adjusting the contrast?" (as a possible solution). "I tried adding more salt but it still didn't taste right" (I did it as an experiment, but it was not enough). TYPICAL CONTEXT: technical solutions ("try updating the driver"), culinary recommendations, alternative medical suggestions. KEY DIFFERENCE: TRY DOING = the action OCCURS (the subject actually does it); TRY TO DO = the action may or may not occur (the attempt may fail). "I tried opening the document" = I opened it (as an experiment; perhaps to see if it was corrupted). "I tried to open the document" = I attempted to open it (I may not have succeeded).
If the dashboard is still displaying the error message after the update, try clearing the browser cache and refreshing the page — this resolves the issue in the majority of reported cases.
I tried restructuring the executive summary along the lines you suggested, placing the key financial metrics before the strategic rationale, but the flow felt less coherent and so I have reverted to the original order.
The support team recommends trying connecting the device to a different network before escalating the issue, as connectivity problems at the router level account for a high proportion of the incidents logged each month.
Common mistake
MAIN ERROR — SWAPPING THE TWO FORMS: "Try to restart the server" = attempt to restart (you may not be able to). "Try restarting the server" = try doing it as an experiment (and see if it works). In technical support or recommendation contexts, TRY + ING is almost always the correct option because it is an experimental suggestion. CONFUSION WITH "REMEMBER/FORGET": like TRY, the verbs REMEMBER and FORGET also change meaning depending on whether they are followed by TO or -ING. The TRY TO / TRY DOING pattern is part of a family of verbs with dual construction (stop, regret, mean, go on, need). FALSE PROBLEM — CONTEXT USUALLY MAKES IT CLEAR: if the outcome is uncertain AND the speaker recommends trying = TRY + ING. If there is a goal requiring effort = TRY + TO. "Try to be more punctual" (TRY TO) = punctuality is the goal. "Try arriving ten minutes early" (TRY ING) = try this specific technique to see if it helps.
Trick to remember it
THE "DO IT AND SEE" TEST: does the phrase mean "do it to see what happens"? = TRY + ING. Does it mean "attempt to achieve it (you might fail)"? = TRY + TO. SYNONYMS to confirm: TRY DOING = experiment / give it a try / see what happens. TRY TO DO = attempt / make an effort / aim to. "Try SENDING an email" = try sending it (see if that helps). "Try TO SEND an email" = attempt to send it (you might not be able to). GOLDEN RULE FOR TECH SUPPORT: support instructions almost always use TRY + ING because they are experimental suggestions: "Try updating / Try restarting / Try disabling the firewall."
Quick rule
TRY + TO + infinitive = attempt (effort toward a goal; can fail). TRY + ING = try doing something (experiment to see if it works). "Try to open it" = attempt to open it (you might not succeed). "Try opening it" = try opening it as an experiment (do it and see). In technical recommendations = almost always TRY + ING.
Did you know?
The group of verbs that change meaning depending on whether they are followed by TO + infinitive or -ING is called in English grammar "verbs with non-finite complementation." The four most famous are TRY, REMEMBER, FORGET, and STOP, but the list also includes REGRET, MEAN, GO ON, NEED (in British English: "The car needs washing" = "The car needs to be washed"). What is linguistically fascinating is that the distinction between the action as a GOAL (infinitive) and the action as a REALITY OR PROCESS (gerund) is a semantic distinction expressed grammatically. In Spanish there is no such explicit morphological distinction — "intenté abrir el archivo" can mean either TRY TO OPEN or TRY OPENING depending on context. This Spanish ambiguity that English resolves with morphology is one of the points where Spanish speakers find the most difficulty.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
The development team has been _____ replicate the bug in the test environment for three days, but the issue only seems to manifest under specific production conditions that are difficult to simulate accurately.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The formatting in the exported spreadsheet still appears misaligned. Before submitting a support request, could you _____ saving it as a CSV file instead and then reimporting it? That often resolves the column spacing issues.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
TRY + TO + infinitive = attempt (effort toward a goal; can fail). TRY + ING = try doing something (experiment to see if it works). "Try to open it" = attempt to open it (you might not succeed). "Try opening it" = try opening it as an experiment (do it and see). In technical recommendations = almost always TRY + ING.
MAIN ERROR — SWAPPING THE TWO FORMS: "Try to restart the server" = attempt to restart (you may not be able to). "Try restarting the server" = try doing it as an experiment (and see if it works). In technical support or recommendation contexts, TRY + ING is almost always the correct option because it is an experimental suggestion. CONFUSION WITH "REMEMBER/FORGET": like TRY, the verbs REMEMBER and FORGET also change meaning depending on whether they are followed by TO or -ING. The TRY TO / TRY DOING pattern is part of a family of verbs with dual construction (stop, regret, mean, go on, need). FALSE PROBLEM — CONTEXT USUALLY MAKES IT CLEAR: if the outcome is uncertain AND the speaker recommends trying = TRY + ING. If there is a goal requiring effort = TRY + TO. "Try to be more punctual" (TRY TO) = punctuality is the goal. "Try arriving ten minutes early" (TRY ING) = try this specific technique to see if it helps.
THE "DO IT AND SEE" TEST: does the phrase mean "do it to see what happens"? = TRY + ING. Does it mean "attempt to achieve it (you might fail)"? = TRY + TO. SYNONYMS to confirm: TRY DOING = experiment / give it a try / see what happens. TRY TO DO = attempt / make an effort / aim to. "Try SENDING an email" = try sending it (see if that helps). "Try TO SEND an email" = attempt to send it (you might not be able to). GOLDEN RULE FOR TECH SUPPORT: support instructions almost always use TRY + ING because they are experimental suggestions: "Try updating / Try restarting / Try disabling the firewall."
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy