TYPICAL ERROR We will try and finish painting our boat this weekend.
CORRECTION We will try to finish painting our boat this weekend.
EXPLANATION The use of try and instead of try to is just a bad habit that seems to have become part of the language of even many well-educated people. If you think about it, the phrase has to be try to because the word to introduces an infinitive verb, as in these sentences:
- Try to be early
- Try to drive carefully.
- Try to think clearly.
If you are still not convinced, try using and with the negative form (a sentence with the word not in it). It just doesn't work, as you can see!
- Try not and be late.
- Try not and drive too fast.
- Try not and think about it.
Obviously, those should be:
- Try not to be late.
- Try not to drive too fast.
- Try not to think about it.
Rewrite these sentences so that they include try to.