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'Try to do' = attempt to do something; 'try doing' = experiment by doing something to see if it works.
Side-by-side comparison
"Try + infinitive" means making an effort to achieve something, despite a difficulty. You may or may not succeed: "She tried to open the door".
She tried to open the jar but it was too tight, so she asked her dad for help.
He tries to go to the gym at least three times a week, even when he is very busy.
Please try to arrive on time, the teacher starts the class as soon as the bell rings.
"Try + gerund" means experimenting with something as a possible solution, to see what happens: "Try turning it off and on again". It is a test proposal, not an effort.
If you have a headache, try drinking a big glass of water, it often helps a lot.
I could not sleep, so I tried listening to music with headphones and it worked perfectly.
Try adding a little lemon juice to the soup, it might give it a much nicer flavour.
Common mistake
- •The main error: swapping the two forms.
- •"Try TO restart the server" = attempt to restart it (uncertainty about whether it is possible).
- •"Try RESTARTING the server" = try doing it as an experiment and see if it works.
- •In technical support or recommendations, TRY + -ING is almost always the correct choice.
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.
- •Golden rule for tech support: instructions almost always use TRY + -ING: "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 as an experiment (do it and see). "Try to open it" = attempt to open it (might not succeed). "Try opening it" = try it as an experiment. In technical recommendations = almost always TRY + -ING.
Did you know?
TRY is part of a family of English verbs that change meaning depending on the complement that follows. TO + infinitive or -ING gerund. The most famous: REMEMBER to do = to remember to do something (future task). REMEMBER doing = to recall having done something (past memory). FORGET to do = to fail to remember to do something. FORGET doing = not to recall having done something. STOP to do = to pause in order to do something. STOP doing = to cease doing something.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
I tried _____ the jar but it was too tight. I couldn't do it.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She tried _____ the new sauce on the pasta to see if she liked it.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
In 'look forward to', the 'to' is a preposition, not part of the infinitive, so it is followed by a gerund (-ing).
'Start' and 'begin' accept both gerund and infinitive with no meaning difference, except with stative verbs or in continuous forms.
'Stop to do' = pause in order to do something else; 'stop doing' = cease doing something.
'Suggest' and 'recommend' never take 'to' + infinitive; they use a gerund or a 'that' clause.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy