Nick writes:
Here's one that's bothered me for a while. Perhaps you can shed some light on it.
When is it appropriate to use "try and" and when "try to," as in "I'm going to try and walk the dog today" or "I'm going to try to walk the dog today"? Is "try and" ever correct?
"Try and" is a very widespread usage. Still, it's not logical.
"Try to" means "attempt to": I will try to climb Mount Everest. She will try to get her dream job.
Yet many of us say "try and," which makes no sense. I won't "try" and then "climb Mount Everest." She won't "try" and then "get her dream job."
You could use "try and" when you're really talking about two different actions:
If you try and fail, try again.
I will try and let you know if I succeed.
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