Olórinsheir
New Member
Hi all, I apologize if this shouldn't go here but I just got to session 168 and am listening to the great to try to vs to try and debate, and felt compelled to weigh in.
I have lived my whole life in rural Kansas and can honestly say I probably hear "to try and" more often than "to try to". I've thought about the circumstances surrounding the usage of each and from my experience it has less to do with certainty and more to do with choice.
"To try to" is usually used when there is an option of not doing the action (we're going to try to make it to your party, we're going to try to be on time). Normally if you don't succeed there is no real consequence.
"To try and" is usually used when you have no choice (we have to try and get the cattle back in, we have to try and get the tree limb off of the roof). The action being described, no matter how difficult or near impossible, must be attempted and succeeded at almost all cost. Usually the consequences are much higher and your honor or duty leaves you me choice.
So in LotR when they say "we have to try AND save _____" they are duty bound and have no real choice in the matter.
This is how I hear it when I hear the two different combinations but I admit I'm no scholar.
I have lived my whole life in rural Kansas and can honestly say I probably hear "to try and" more often than "to try to". I've thought about the circumstances surrounding the usage of each and from my experience it has less to do with certainty and more to do with choice.
"To try to" is usually used when there is an option of not doing the action (we're going to try to make it to your party, we're going to try to be on time). Normally if you don't succeed there is no real consequence.
"To try and" is usually used when you have no choice (we have to try and get the cattle back in, we have to try and get the tree limb off of the roof). The action being described, no matter how difficult or near impossible, must be attempted and succeeded at almost all cost. Usually the consequences are much higher and your honor or duty leaves you me choice.
So in LotR when they say "we have to try AND save _____" they are duty bound and have no real choice in the matter.
This is how I hear it when I hear the two different combinations but I admit I'm no scholar.