The Difference between Try and Attempt
2021-01-16
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1This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Lestyo from Indonesia.
2I would like to know what is the difference between "attempt" and "try?" Thank you very much.
3Dear Lestyo,
4Thank you for writing, and yes, we will try to help!
5The words "try" and "attempt" have very similar meanings.
6But there is a small yet important difference between "try" and "attempt."
7"Try" is more informal.
8You use it while speaking with friends and family.
9"Attempt" is more formal.
10You often use it while speaking and writing about reaching a goal.
11"Try" means to make an effort to do something.
12When you try something, you may not care about the result.
13The effort is on doing the activity more than reaching a goal.
14We also use "try" for doing something that we may have not done before.
15Native English speakers often use the word "try" when speaking about something they want to do in daily activities.
16Here are two examples:
17I tried a new shirt on and loved it, so I bought it.
18I went to my favorite restaurant and tried a soup for the first time.
19When you say "I tried a soup," it means just to taste it.
20However, it will mean something different if you say, "I tried to eat soup."
21It means you tried but could not.
22"Attempt" also means to try to do something.
23The meaning is similar to "try" but the result is more important than just doing the activity.
24You use it to show an activity or a situation that is more difficult or more official:
25I attempted to get a good grade on the TOEFL test and I was successful.
26He attempted to climb Mt. Everest, but the conditions were too dangerous.
27Yes, you still can use "try" in place of "attempt" in both examples.
28But you want to use "attempt" for something special and important in someone's life.
29I'm happy that you are trying to use new words every day.
30And I look forward to seeing your attempt to use them in the comments.
31I'm Armen Kassabian.
1This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Lestyo from Indonesia. 2Question: 3I would like to know what is the difference between "attempt" and "try?" Thank you very much. 4Answer: 5Dear Lestyo, 6Thank you for writing, and yes, we will try to help! 7The words "try" and "attempt" have very similar meanings. But there is a small yet important difference between "try" and "attempt." 8"Try" is more informal. You use it while speaking with friends and family. "Attempt" is more formal. You often use it while speaking and writing about reaching a goal. 9Try 10"Try" means to make an effort to do something. When you try something, you may not care about the result. The effort is on doing the activity more than reaching a goal. We also use "try" for doing something that we may have not done before. 11Native English speakers often use the word "try" when speaking about something they want to do in daily activities. Here are two examples: 12I tried a new shirt on and loved it, so I bought it. 13I went to my favorite restaurant and tried a soup for the first time. 14When you say "I tried a soup," it means just to taste it. However, it will mean something different if you say, "I tried to eat soup." It means you tried but could not. 15Attempt 16"Attempt" also means to try to do something. The meaning is similar to "try" but the result is more important than just doing the activity. You use it to show an activity or a situation that is more difficult or more official: 17I attempted to get a good grade on the TOEFL test and I was successful. 18He attempted to climb Mt. Everest, but the conditions were too dangerous. 19Yes, you still can use "try" in place of "attempt" in both examples. But you want to use "attempt" for something special and important in someone's life. 20I'm happy that you are trying to use new words every day. And I look forward to seeing your attempt to use them in the comments. 21I'm Armen Kassabian. 22Armen Kasabian wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. 23What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. 24______________________________________________________________ 25Words in This Story 26informal - n. having a friendly and relaxed quality 27formal - adj. requiring or using serious and proper clothes and manners