ANSWER: "try to" vs. "try and"
When is it appropriate to use "try to" vs. "try and"?
(With examples from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.)
Let’s begin with the easy part: try to is always correct.
Giles: "Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but he would have none of it." (BtVS, "The Puppet Show")
But of course nothing is ever that simple in this wonderful, ever-evolving language of ours. If it were, this community wouldn’t need to exist, and I would be very sad.
While try to is correct, it does not necessarily follow that try and is wrong. Indeed, people have been saying try and for a good long time now. However, there are a couple things to be aware of in its usage.
First, and is only ever used with the uninflected form of the verb: try. The conjugated forms, tries, tried, and trying, always use to.
In this example, Buffy could say either try to or try and:
Xander: "What, it's not okay for one guy to like another guy just because he happened to be in the locker room with him when absolutely nothing happened and I thought I told you not to push."
Buffy: "All I meant is that he didn't try and look up my skirt." (BtVS, "Phases")
But here, with a conjugated verb, the only option is to.
Giles: "Testosterone is a great equalizer. It turns all men into morons. He will, however, get over it."
Buffy: "I cannot believe that you, of all people, are trying to Scully me." (BtVS, "The Pack")
Second, while in British English usage try and is established idiom, in American English it is an informal construction that strikes some as being incorrect or at least sloppy.
So if try to is always correct, and some people think try and is grammatically suspect, why use the second? Character voice and nuance. Very few people speak with textbook-perfect grammar, and the use of idiom is important for making your dialogue sound natural.
Also, because and is a conjunction, using it implies success. It’s as if the character is saying, “I will try, and I will do.” It puts try and the verb following it on more equal footing. In Modern English Usage, Fowler observes that try and is almost exclusively used in exhortations and promises.
Giles: "We're doing all that we can. The only course of action is to try and find out what was in that stolen book." (BtVS, "What's My Line?")
And there is one case in which try and is the more natural-sounding choice: the dare.
Kate: "Who the hell do you think you are? You are a major witness to a major crime scene. You are not going anywhere."
Angel: "You want to try and stop me, Kate?" (AtS, "To Shanshu in L.A.")
Remember, you're always safe sticking with try to. Indeed, for any formal writing I would recommend exactly that. But in dialogue, you can convey a slightly different connotation by using try and appropriately.
References:
Fowler, H.W., Modern English Usage, 1926
Garner, Bryan A., Garner’s Modern American Usage, 2003
(With examples from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel.)
Let’s begin with the easy part: try to is always correct.
Giles: "Mm. He thought it would behoove me to have more contact with the students. I did try to explain that my vocational choice of librarian was a deliberate attempt to minimize said contact, but he would have none of it." (BtVS, "The Puppet Show")
But of course nothing is ever that simple in this wonderful, ever-evolving language of ours. If it were, this community wouldn’t need to exist, and I would be very sad.
While try to is correct, it does not necessarily follow that try and is wrong. Indeed, people have been saying try and for a good long time now. However, there are a couple things to be aware of in its usage.
First, and is only ever used with the uninflected form of the verb: try. The conjugated forms, tries, tried, and trying, always use to.
In this example, Buffy could say either try to or try and:
Xander: "What, it's not okay for one guy to like another guy just because he happened to be in the locker room with him when absolutely nothing happened and I thought I told you not to push."
Buffy: "All I meant is that he didn't try and look up my skirt." (BtVS, "Phases")
But here, with a conjugated verb, the only option is to.
Giles: "Testosterone is a great equalizer. It turns all men into morons. He will, however, get over it."
Buffy: "I cannot believe that you, of all people, are trying to Scully me." (BtVS, "The Pack")
Second, while in British English usage try and is established idiom, in American English it is an informal construction that strikes some as being incorrect or at least sloppy.
So if try to is always correct, and some people think try and is grammatically suspect, why use the second? Character voice and nuance. Very few people speak with textbook-perfect grammar, and the use of idiom is important for making your dialogue sound natural.
Also, because and is a conjunction, using it implies success. It’s as if the character is saying, “I will try, and I will do.” It puts try and the verb following it on more equal footing. In Modern English Usage, Fowler observes that try and is almost exclusively used in exhortations and promises.
Giles: "We're doing all that we can. The only course of action is to try and find out what was in that stolen book." (BtVS, "What's My Line?")
And there is one case in which try and is the more natural-sounding choice: the dare.
Kate: "Who the hell do you think you are? You are a major witness to a major crime scene. You are not going anywhere."
Angel: "You want to try and stop me, Kate?" (AtS, "To Shanshu in L.A.")
Remember, you're always safe sticking with try to. Indeed, for any formal writing I would recommend exactly that. But in dialogue, you can convey a slightly different connotation by using try and appropriately.
References:
Fowler, H.W., Modern English Usage, 1926
Garner, Bryan A., Garner’s Modern American Usage, 2003