Should I use the ing form or the infinitive in “Try using/to use as many time expressions as possible in your composition”. The task is to describe one’s daily routine.
Thank you!
There is a difference in meaning between the two constructions. If you use the infinitive, ‘try’ suggests ‘make an effort’. If you use the ‘ing’ form, try suggests ‘make an experiment’.
For example:
A I tried to open the lid but it wouldn’t open. What do you recommend I should do?
B I suggest you try using a hammer and see how that works.
I doubt that many native English speakers would consider that distinction.
I tried to open the lid, but I couldn’t. =
I made an effort to open the lid but I could not open it.
I think you have missed my point. There is a difference between : I tried to open the lid and someone has suggested that I tried using a hammer to open the lid. I can’t see why you say that most native English speakers wouldn’t see the distinction.
You might have missed mine. Perhaps we should go back to the form mentioned in the first message. “try using” and “try to use”.
Try to use the correct vocabulary.
Try using the correct vocabulary.
- I believe that many people would not make a distinction.
Many grammarians say that when we talk about [i]making an effort to do something[/i], we use the [i]try to do[/i] structure.
(Only) M.Swan says in his famous book either try to do or try doing is used in this case.
Dear Teacher, what do you think he is right about that. (In addition, your thoughts coincides with his? 
Swan or no Swan I’ll give a couple more examples with a view to explaining why I think a native English speaker would automatically choose one or other of the options for a reason. A mother says to her child: Try to get to sleep now, it’s late. (the mother is asking the child to make an effort to do that). The child says: I can’t and so the mother offers a suggestion: Try counting sheep. She doesn’t tell the child to count sheep as a task because there are no sheep there. It is a suggestion: try counting sheep/try talking to your teddy bear/ try closing your eyes. Again a man dived into a lake and tried to rescue a dog. Again he dived in with a particular purpose in mind - made an effort to rescue the dog. You wouldn’t say: He tried rescuing the dog as if he was saying to himself: Now, what shall I do? Shall I try killing the dog/shooting the dog/shouting at the dog?
I concede that those examples are more clear cut. However, there are times, as seen above, where I don’t think such a distinction would be made.
Dear teacher, does the word in bold mean "[i]acknowledge/admit/confess[/i]"?
Thanks.
Have you tried finding out for yourself?
oald8.oxfordlearnersdictionaries … ry/concede
Thank you for the link.