Monday, July 6, 2015

gerunds - Verb + gerundive or Verb + infinitive, what is preferable?


What is preferable to use: verb + gerundive or verb + infinitive?


For example:


I tried checking it



or


I tried to check it


if both are possible then what's the difference? Are there any specific use cases for both gerundive and infinitive in such a construction?


Thank you.



Answer



Try + gerund means to experiment with an action that might be a solution to your problem.



If you have problems sleeping, you could try doing some yoga before you go to bed, or you could try drinking some warm milk.



Try + to-infinitive means to make an effort to do something. It may be something very difficult or even impossible:




The surgeons tried to save his life but he died on the operating table.



You can find info on usage of try and other verbs that can take gerund/infinitive in different sources, e.g. here, or here.


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