Try and vs. Try to by Merriam-Webster Lyrics
Welcome to Ask the Editor. I'm Kory Stamper, an Associate Editor at Merriam-Webster.
When we write these videos, we always try and think of usage issues that interest people. Like that use of "try and" that I slipped in that previous sentence.
Some people contend that "try and" is a mistake; that you should use "try to." Why? Because—they say—"try to" is usually followed by an infinitive, and infinitives need to be introduced with "to"—except, of course, when they aren't. Infinitives are used in many constructions without that introductory "to," and some of those constructions use "and" instead. We tell people to 'come and see' what we're looking at. We ask them to 'go and check on' our dogs or kids or dictionary collections. And it's not just because we're lazy modern slobs—the use of "and" before an infinitive is about 1000 years old.
There are two interesting things about "try and." The first is, it's not about right and wrong use, but about informal and formal use. "Try and" tends to be used in informal constructions, like speech and personal communications. "Try to," on the other hand, is used in more formal constructions like edited prose.
The second interesting thing is that "try and" has its own grammar that makes it distinct from "try to." Unlike "try to," "try and" can't be inverted, so "to repair his strength he tries" but not "and repair his strength he tries." It can't be split up by an adverb—"try always to be polite" but not "try always and be polite," and it can't be split by a negative—"try not to do that" but not "try not and do that."
So, should you worry about using "try and"? Not necessarily, but if you aren't sure or think you might be castigated for using "try and," then try to remember to use "try to."
For more episodes of Ask the Editor, click on the "Video" tab at merriam-webster.com
When we write these videos, we always try and think of usage issues that interest people. Like that use of "try and" that I slipped in that previous sentence.
Some people contend that "try and" is a mistake; that you should use "try to." Why? Because—they say—"try to" is usually followed by an infinitive, and infinitives need to be introduced with "to"—except, of course, when they aren't. Infinitives are used in many constructions without that introductory "to," and some of those constructions use "and" instead. We tell people to 'come and see' what we're looking at. We ask them to 'go and check on' our dogs or kids or dictionary collections. And it's not just because we're lazy modern slobs—the use of "and" before an infinitive is about 1000 years old.
There are two interesting things about "try and." The first is, it's not about right and wrong use, but about informal and formal use. "Try and" tends to be used in informal constructions, like speech and personal communications. "Try to," on the other hand, is used in more formal constructions like edited prose.
The second interesting thing is that "try and" has its own grammar that makes it distinct from "try to." Unlike "try to," "try and" can't be inverted, so "to repair his strength he tries" but not "and repair his strength he tries." It can't be split up by an adverb—"try always to be polite" but not "try always and be polite," and it can't be split by a negative—"try not to do that" but not "try not and do that."
So, should you worry about using "try and"? Not necessarily, but if you aren't sure or think you might be castigated for using "try and," then try to remember to use "try to."
For more episodes of Ask the Editor, click on the "Video" tab at merriam-webster.com