How to understand “I had two try”
up vote
38
down vote
favorite
"You're not the first one who's had trouble with money," said Mr. Roberts, scrutinizing Mr. Weasley closely. "I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."
I think "I had two try" here means Mr. Roberts had encountered this kind of situation two times. (Is my understanding correct?) I don't quite understand why the singular form of 'try' is being used, instead of the plural form "tries", given the word 'try' is actually an accountable noun. Is it a dialectal usage?
meaning-in-context parsing experiential-have
edited Dec 6 at 6:35
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
asked Dec 6 at 2:33
dan
4,04922462
add a comment |
up vote
38
down vote
favorite
"You're not the first one who's had trouble with money," said Mr. Roberts, scrutinizing Mr. Weasley closely. "I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."
I think "I had two try" here means Mr. Roberts had encountered this kind of situation two times. (Is my understanding correct?) I don't quite understand why the singular form of 'try' is being used, instead of the plural form "tries", given the word 'try' is actually an accountable noun. Is it a dialectal usage?
meaning-in-context parsing experiential-have
edited Dec 6 at 6:35
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
asked Dec 6 at 2:33
dan
4,04922462
add a comment |
up vote
38
down vote
favorite
up vote
38
down vote
favorite
"You're not the first one who's had trouble with money," said Mr. Roberts, scrutinizing Mr. Weasley closely. "I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."
I think "I had two try" here means Mr. Roberts had encountered this kind of situation two times. (Is my understanding correct?) I don't quite understand why the singular form of 'try' is being used, instead of the plural form "tries", given the word 'try' is actually an accountable noun. Is it a dialectal usage?
meaning-in-context parsing experiential-have
edited Dec 6 at 6:35
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
asked Dec 6 at 2:33
dan
4,04922462
"You're not the first one who's had trouble with money," said Mr. Roberts, scrutinizing Mr. Weasley closely. "I had two try and pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."
I think "I had two try" here means Mr. Roberts had encountered this kind of situation two times. (Is my understanding correct?) I don't quite understand why the singular form of 'try' is being used, instead of the plural form "tries", given the word 'try' is actually an accountable noun. Is it a dialectal usage?
meaning-in-context parsing experiential-have
meaning-in-context parsing experiential-have
edited Dec 6 at 6:35
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
asked Dec 6 at 2:33
dan
4,04922462
edited Dec 6 at 6:35
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
asked Dec 6 at 2:33
dan
4,04922462
edited Dec 6 at 6:35
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
edited Dec 6 at 6:35
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
edited Dec 6 at 6:35
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
4,62341544
asked Dec 6 at 2:33
dan
4,04922462
asked Dec 6 at 2:33
dan
4,04922462
asked Dec 6 at 2:33
dan
4,04922462
4,04922462
add a comment |
add a comment |
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
up vote
112
down vote
accepted
There are a couple of things about this sentence which make it tricky, but I don't think it's outside the range of what would be considered normal for spoken English (remember it's a quote of what a character is saying).
Firstly there is an omitted noun, secondly "try and" is used instead of "try to". I am not sure why people say "try and" instead of "try to" but in my experience (native British English speaker) it's not terribly uncommon.
So the sentence translates to something like.
"I had two customers try to pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."
answered Dec 6 at 8:24
Peter Green
1,4701710
10
+1 This! It is the most simple and correct explanation. "try and" is very common for "try to", hence it reads like "I had two who tried to pay me..."
– rexkogitans
Dec 6 at 9:19
2
British English speaker here, I read this and to myself i said "try an' pay me".
– WendyG
Dec 6 at 10:23
15
As an American, "try and ___" is common here as well. For example, "just try and stop me!" comes up in movies pretty often. If I had to guess it seems to be used more often when failure is expected, so it might be a contraction of "try and (fail to) ___"
– Kamil Drakari
Dec 6 at 15:08
4
@KamilDrakari - As my father (an American) used to say: "'Common' is exactly what it is." ;-) Quite the stickler for these things, my father... (But it worked: I can't hear "try and" without cringing.)
– T.J. Crowder
Dec 7 at 9:35
6
@LightnessRacesinOrbit: Actually, Merriam-Webster says "try and" is the older of the pair. "Try to" only got invented after writers realized that "try and" doesn't inflect or split very well (or something... the 17th century was a chaotic time for English).
– Kevin
Dec 8 at 4:51
|
show 2 more comments
up vote
10
down vote
With context being somewhat limited, it seems he is saying that he had (knew/met) two people who tried and paid him "with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago".
The HAVE + NOUN PHRASE (NP) + VERB construction means experience NP doing what the verb describes. For example:
I have had many people come up to me and ask me for money.
Another similar construction is HAVE + NP + VERB (past participle)
I had my car scuffed.
It should be noted here that HAVE constructions can also be used in causative sentences.
I will have my guy go over there.
I had my hair cut.
answered Dec 6 at 2:58
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
Is it "have + NP + do" the same as "have + NP + to do"? Is it also correct to say: "I have had many people to come up to me and ask me for money."?
– dan
Dec 6 at 3:07
@dan You should use the bare infinitive, that is, an infinitive without "to". No, that sentence is incorrect.
– Eddie Kal
Dec 6 at 3:09
But I found these examples in Collins dictionary: He had plenty of work to do. I have some important calls to make.
– dan
Dec 6 at 3:16
2
@dan Those are not the same construction. He had plenty of work to do. implies "The plenty of work was for him to do." "He needed to worry about that work." I had two guys pay me. means "Two guys paid me."
– Eddie Kal
Dec 6 at 3:19
1
I don't know where the quote comes from, but I took "try and pay" to mean: "two people tried unsuccessfully to pay him" as opposed to your interpretation which seems to be " two people paid him with great gold coins..." When I use "try and" in spoken English it means the person made the offer, but I didn't agree to it.
– J. Chris Compton
Dec 6 at 17:53
|
show 3 more comments
up vote
7
down vote
I don't quite understand why the singular form of 'try' is being used
It isn't. In that sentence, "try" is a verb. With verbs, the singular version ends in an 's' and the plural version does not (mostly, as always, there are exceptions). So "try" is the plural version of the verb, while "tries" would be singular. "They try and he tries."
Of course, in this case, "try" is being used as a bare infinitive and so is not subject to subject/verb agreement. "I had one try" would also be grammatically correct here.
Others have already explained how words were elided (left out), but I wanted to address this particular point.
answered Dec 7 at 1:25
Brythan
23613
add a comment |
up vote
-2
down vote
The sentence is not technically correct; it should really be: "I had two try to pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago." In this case, "two" is referring to two people.
It could also be correct and mean that they tried and that they paid.
Context would be helpful to figure out the intended meaning.
answered Dec 7 at 14:43
Solomon Ucko
1074
New contributor
Solomon Ucko is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
Many people frown on "try and" but I don't think it's reasonable to claim that it's incorrect.
– David Richerby
Dec 9 at 13:40
add a comment |
Your Answer
StackExchange.ready(function() {
var channelOptions = {
tags: "".split(" "),
id: "481"
};
initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);
StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function() {
// Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled) {
StackExchange.using("snippets", function() {
createEditor();
});
}
else {
createEditor();
}
});
function createEditor() {
StackExchange.prepareEditor({
heartbeatType: 'answer',
convertImagesToLinks: false,
noModals: true,
showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
reputationToPostImages: null,
bindNavPrevention: true,
postfix: "",
imageUploader: {
brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
allowUrls: true
},
noCode: true, onDemand: true,
discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
});
}
});
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fell.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f187635%2fhow-to-understand-i-had-two-try%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
112
down vote
accepted
There are a couple of things about this sentence which make it tricky, but I don't think it's outside the range of what would be considered normal for spoken English (remember it's a quote of what a character is saying).
Firstly there is an omitted noun, secondly "try and" is used instead of "try to". I am not sure why people say "try and" instead of "try to" but in my experience (native British English speaker) it's not terribly uncommon.
So the sentence translates to something like.
"I had two customers try to pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."
answered Dec 6 at 8:24
Peter Green
1,4701710
10
+1 This! It is the most simple and correct explanation. "try and" is very common for "try to", hence it reads like "I had two who tried to pay me..."
– rexkogitans
Dec 6 at 9:19
2
British English speaker here, I read this and to myself i said "try an' pay me".
– WendyG
Dec 6 at 10:23
15
As an American, "try and ___" is common here as well. For example, "just try and stop me!" comes up in movies pretty often. If I had to guess it seems to be used more often when failure is expected, so it might be a contraction of "try and (fail to) ___"
– Kamil Drakari
Dec 6 at 15:08
4
@KamilDrakari - As my father (an American) used to say: "'Common' is exactly what it is." ;-) Quite the stickler for these things, my father... (But it worked: I can't hear "try and" without cringing.)
– T.J. Crowder
Dec 7 at 9:35
6
@LightnessRacesinOrbit: Actually, Merriam-Webster says "try and" is the older of the pair. "Try to" only got invented after writers realized that "try and" doesn't inflect or split very well (or something... the 17th century was a chaotic time for English).
– Kevin
Dec 8 at 4:51
|
show 2 more comments
up vote
112
down vote
accepted
There are a couple of things about this sentence which make it tricky, but I don't think it's outside the range of what would be considered normal for spoken English (remember it's a quote of what a character is saying).
Firstly there is an omitted noun, secondly "try and" is used instead of "try to". I am not sure why people say "try and" instead of "try to" but in my experience (native British English speaker) it's not terribly uncommon.
So the sentence translates to something like.
"I had two customers try to pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."
answered Dec 6 at 8:24
Peter Green
1,4701710
10
+1 This! It is the most simple and correct explanation. "try and" is very common for "try to", hence it reads like "I had two who tried to pay me..."
– rexkogitans
Dec 6 at 9:19
2
British English speaker here, I read this and to myself i said "try an' pay me".
– WendyG
Dec 6 at 10:23
15
As an American, "try and ___" is common here as well. For example, "just try and stop me!" comes up in movies pretty often. If I had to guess it seems to be used more often when failure is expected, so it might be a contraction of "try and (fail to) ___"
– Kamil Drakari
Dec 6 at 15:08
4
@KamilDrakari - As my father (an American) used to say: "'Common' is exactly what it is." ;-) Quite the stickler for these things, my father... (But it worked: I can't hear "try and" without cringing.)
– T.J. Crowder
Dec 7 at 9:35
6
@LightnessRacesinOrbit: Actually, Merriam-Webster says "try and" is the older of the pair. "Try to" only got invented after writers realized that "try and" doesn't inflect or split very well (or something... the 17th century was a chaotic time for English).
– Kevin
Dec 8 at 4:51
|
show 2 more comments
up vote
112
down vote
accepted
up vote
112
down vote
accepted
There are a couple of things about this sentence which make it tricky, but I don't think it's outside the range of what would be considered normal for spoken English (remember it's a quote of what a character is saying).
Firstly there is an omitted noun, secondly "try and" is used instead of "try to". I am not sure why people say "try and" instead of "try to" but in my experience (native British English speaker) it's not terribly uncommon.
So the sentence translates to something like.
"I had two customers try to pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."
answered Dec 6 at 8:24
Peter Green
1,4701710
There are a couple of things about this sentence which make it tricky, but I don't think it's outside the range of what would be considered normal for spoken English (remember it's a quote of what a character is saying).
Firstly there is an omitted noun, secondly "try and" is used instead of "try to". I am not sure why people say "try and" instead of "try to" but in my experience (native British English speaker) it's not terribly uncommon.
So the sentence translates to something like.
"I had two customers try to pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."
answered Dec 6 at 8:24
Peter Green
1,4701710
answered Dec 6 at 8:24
Peter Green
1,4701710
answered Dec 6 at 8:24
Peter Green
1,4701710
answered Dec 6 at 8:24
Peter Green
1,4701710
1,4701710
10
+1 This! It is the most simple and correct explanation. "try and" is very common for "try to", hence it reads like "I had two who tried to pay me..."
– rexkogitans
Dec 6 at 9:19
2
British English speaker here, I read this and to myself i said "try an' pay me".
– WendyG
Dec 6 at 10:23
15
As an American, "try and ___" is common here as well. For example, "just try and stop me!" comes up in movies pretty often. If I had to guess it seems to be used more often when failure is expected, so it might be a contraction of "try and (fail to) ___"
– Kamil Drakari
Dec 6 at 15:08
4
@KamilDrakari - As my father (an American) used to say: "'Common' is exactly what it is." ;-) Quite the stickler for these things, my father... (But it worked: I can't hear "try and" without cringing.)
– T.J. Crowder
Dec 7 at 9:35
6
@LightnessRacesinOrbit: Actually, Merriam-Webster says "try and" is the older of the pair. "Try to" only got invented after writers realized that "try and" doesn't inflect or split very well (or something... the 17th century was a chaotic time for English).
– Kevin
Dec 8 at 4:51
|
show 2 more comments
10
+1 This! It is the most simple and correct explanation. "try and" is very common for "try to", hence it reads like "I had two who tried to pay me..."
– rexkogitans
Dec 6 at 9:19
2
British English speaker here, I read this and to myself i said "try an' pay me".
– WendyG
Dec 6 at 10:23
15
As an American, "try and ___" is common here as well. For example, "just try and stop me!" comes up in movies pretty often. If I had to guess it seems to be used more often when failure is expected, so it might be a contraction of "try and (fail to) ___"
– Kamil Drakari
Dec 6 at 15:08
4
@KamilDrakari - As my father (an American) used to say: "'Common' is exactly what it is." ;-) Quite the stickler for these things, my father... (But it worked: I can't hear "try and" without cringing.)
– T.J. Crowder
Dec 7 at 9:35
6
@LightnessRacesinOrbit: Actually, Merriam-Webster says "try and" is the older of the pair. "Try to" only got invented after writers realized that "try and" doesn't inflect or split very well (or something... the 17th century was a chaotic time for English).
– Kevin
Dec 8 at 4:51
10
10
+1 This! It is the most simple and correct explanation. "try and" is very common for "try to", hence it reads like "I had two who tried to pay me..."
– rexkogitans
Dec 6 at 9:19
+1 This! It is the most simple and correct explanation. "try and" is very common for "try to", hence it reads like "I had two who tried to pay me..."
– rexkogitans
Dec 6 at 9:19
2
2
British English speaker here, I read this and to myself i said "try an' pay me".
– WendyG
Dec 6 at 10:23
British English speaker here, I read this and to myself i said "try an' pay me".
– WendyG
Dec 6 at 10:23
15
15
As an American, "try and ___" is common here as well. For example, "just try and stop me!" comes up in movies pretty often. If I had to guess it seems to be used more often when failure is expected, so it might be a contraction of "try and (fail to) ___"
– Kamil Drakari
Dec 6 at 15:08
As an American, "try and ___" is common here as well. For example, "just try and stop me!" comes up in movies pretty often. If I had to guess it seems to be used more often when failure is expected, so it might be a contraction of "try and (fail to) ___"
– Kamil Drakari
Dec 6 at 15:08
4
4
@KamilDrakari - As my father (an American) used to say: "'Common' is exactly what it is." ;-) Quite the stickler for these things, my father... (But it worked: I can't hear "try and" without cringing.)
– T.J. Crowder
Dec 7 at 9:35
@KamilDrakari - As my father (an American) used to say: "'Common' is exactly what it is." ;-) Quite the stickler for these things, my father... (But it worked: I can't hear "try and" without cringing.)
– T.J. Crowder
Dec 7 at 9:35
6
6
@LightnessRacesinOrbit: Actually, Merriam-Webster says "try and" is the older of the pair. "Try to" only got invented after writers realized that "try and" doesn't inflect or split very well (or something... the 17th century was a chaotic time for English).
– Kevin
Dec 8 at 4:51
@LightnessRacesinOrbit: Actually, Merriam-Webster says "try and" is the older of the pair. "Try to" only got invented after writers realized that "try and" doesn't inflect or split very well (or something... the 17th century was a chaotic time for English).
– Kevin
Dec 8 at 4:51
|
show 2 more comments
up vote
10
down vote
With context being somewhat limited, it seems he is saying that he had (knew/met) two people who tried and paid him "with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago".
The HAVE + NOUN PHRASE (NP) + VERB construction means experience NP doing what the verb describes. For example:
I have had many people come up to me and ask me for money.
Another similar construction is HAVE + NP + VERB (past participle)
I had my car scuffed.
It should be noted here that HAVE constructions can also be used in causative sentences.
I will have my guy go over there.
I had my hair cut.
answered Dec 6 at 2:58
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
Is it "have + NP + do" the same as "have + NP + to do"? Is it also correct to say: "I have had many people to come up to me and ask me for money."?
– dan
Dec 6 at 3:07
@dan You should use the bare infinitive, that is, an infinitive without "to". No, that sentence is incorrect.
– Eddie Kal
Dec 6 at 3:09
But I found these examples in Collins dictionary: He had plenty of work to do. I have some important calls to make.
– dan
Dec 6 at 3:16
2
@dan Those are not the same construction. He had plenty of work to do. implies "The plenty of work was for him to do." "He needed to worry about that work." I had two guys pay me. means "Two guys paid me."
– Eddie Kal
Dec 6 at 3:19
1
I don't know where the quote comes from, but I took "try and pay" to mean: "two people tried unsuccessfully to pay him" as opposed to your interpretation which seems to be " two people paid him with great gold coins..." When I use "try and" in spoken English it means the person made the offer, but I didn't agree to it.
– J. Chris Compton
Dec 6 at 17:53
|
show 3 more comments
up vote
10
down vote
With context being somewhat limited, it seems he is saying that he had (knew/met) two people who tried and paid him "with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago".
The HAVE + NOUN PHRASE (NP) + VERB construction means experience NP doing what the verb describes. For example:
I have had many people come up to me and ask me for money.
Another similar construction is HAVE + NP + VERB (past participle)
I had my car scuffed.
It should be noted here that HAVE constructions can also be used in causative sentences.
I will have my guy go over there.
I had my hair cut.
answered Dec 6 at 2:58
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
Is it "have + NP + do" the same as "have + NP + to do"? Is it also correct to say: "I have had many people to come up to me and ask me for money."?
– dan
Dec 6 at 3:07
@dan You should use the bare infinitive, that is, an infinitive without "to". No, that sentence is incorrect.
– Eddie Kal
Dec 6 at 3:09
But I found these examples in Collins dictionary: He had plenty of work to do. I have some important calls to make.
– dan
Dec 6 at 3:16
2
@dan Those are not the same construction. He had plenty of work to do. implies "The plenty of work was for him to do." "He needed to worry about that work." I had two guys pay me. means "Two guys paid me."
– Eddie Kal
Dec 6 at 3:19
1
I don't know where the quote comes from, but I took "try and pay" to mean: "two people tried unsuccessfully to pay him" as opposed to your interpretation which seems to be " two people paid him with great gold coins..." When I use "try and" in spoken English it means the person made the offer, but I didn't agree to it.
– J. Chris Compton
Dec 6 at 17:53
|
show 3 more comments
up vote
10
down vote
up vote
10
down vote
With context being somewhat limited, it seems he is saying that he had (knew/met) two people who tried and paid him "with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago".
The HAVE + NOUN PHRASE (NP) + VERB construction means experience NP doing what the verb describes. For example:
I have had many people come up to me and ask me for money.
Another similar construction is HAVE + NP + VERB (past participle)
I had my car scuffed.
It should be noted here that HAVE constructions can also be used in causative sentences.
I will have my guy go over there.
I had my hair cut.
answered Dec 6 at 2:58
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
With context being somewhat limited, it seems he is saying that he had (knew/met) two people who tried and paid him "with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago".
The HAVE + NOUN PHRASE (NP) + VERB construction means experience NP doing what the verb describes. For example:
I have had many people come up to me and ask me for money.
Another similar construction is HAVE + NP + VERB (past participle)
I had my car scuffed.
It should be noted here that HAVE constructions can also be used in causative sentences.
I will have my guy go over there.
I had my hair cut.
answered Dec 6 at 2:58
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
edited Dec 6 at 3:13
answered Dec 6 at 2:58
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
answered Dec 6 at 2:58
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
answered Dec 6 at 2:58
Eddie Kal
4,62341544
4,62341544
Is it "have + NP + do" the same as "have + NP + to do"? Is it also correct to say: "I have had many people to come up to me and ask me for money."?
– dan
Dec 6 at 3:07
@dan You should use the bare infinitive, that is, an infinitive without "to". No, that sentence is incorrect.
– Eddie Kal
Dec 6 at 3:09
But I found these examples in Collins dictionary: He had plenty of work to do. I have some important calls to make.
– dan
Dec 6 at 3:16
2
@dan Those are not the same construction. He had plenty of work to do. implies "The plenty of work was for him to do." "He needed to worry about that work." I had two guys pay me. means "Two guys paid me."
– Eddie Kal
Dec 6 at 3:19
1
I don't know where the quote comes from, but I took "try and pay" to mean: "two people tried unsuccessfully to pay him" as opposed to your interpretation which seems to be " two people paid him with great gold coins..." When I use "try and" in spoken English it means the person made the offer, but I didn't agree to it.
– J. Chris Compton
Dec 6 at 17:53
|
show 3 more comments
Is it "have + NP + do" the same as "have + NP + to do"? Is it also correct to say: "I have had many people to come up to me and ask me for money."?
– dan
Dec 6 at 3:07
@dan You should use the bare infinitive, that is, an infinitive without "to". No, that sentence is incorrect.
– Eddie Kal
Dec 6 at 3:09
But I found these examples in Collins dictionary: He had plenty of work to do. I have some important calls to make.
– dan
Dec 6 at 3:16
2
@dan Those are not the same construction. He had plenty of work to do. implies "The plenty of work was for him to do." "He needed to worry about that work." I had two guys pay me. means "Two guys paid me."
– Eddie Kal
Dec 6 at 3:19
1
I don't know where the quote comes from, but I took "try and pay" to mean: "two people tried unsuccessfully to pay him" as opposed to your interpretation which seems to be " two people paid him with great gold coins..." When I use "try and" in spoken English it means the person made the offer, but I didn't agree to it.
– J. Chris Compton
Dec 6 at 17:53
Is it "have + NP + do" the same as "have + NP + to do"? Is it also correct to say: "I have had many people to come up to me and ask me for money."?
– dan
Dec 6 at 3:07
Is it "have + NP + do" the same as "have + NP + to do"? Is it also correct to say: "I have had many people to come up to me and ask me for money."?
– dan
Dec 6 at 3:07
@dan You should use the bare infinitive, that is, an infinitive without "to". No, that sentence is incorrect.
– Eddie Kal
Dec 6 at 3:09
@dan You should use the bare infinitive, that is, an infinitive without "to". No, that sentence is incorrect.
– Eddie Kal
Dec 6 at 3:09
But I found these examples in Collins dictionary: He had plenty of work to do. I have some important calls to make.
– dan
Dec 6 at 3:16
But I found these examples in Collins dictionary: He had plenty of work to do. I have some important calls to make.
– dan
Dec 6 at 3:16
2
2
@dan Those are not the same construction. He had plenty of work to do. implies "The plenty of work was for him to do." "He needed to worry about that work." I had two guys pay me. means "Two guys paid me."
– Eddie Kal
Dec 6 at 3:19
@dan Those are not the same construction. He had plenty of work to do. implies "The plenty of work was for him to do." "He needed to worry about that work." I had two guys pay me. means "Two guys paid me."
– Eddie Kal
Dec 6 at 3:19
1
1
I don't know where the quote comes from, but I took "try and pay" to mean: "two people tried unsuccessfully to pay him" as opposed to your interpretation which seems to be " two people paid him with great gold coins..." When I use "try and" in spoken English it means the person made the offer, but I didn't agree to it.
– J. Chris Compton
Dec 6 at 17:53
I don't know where the quote comes from, but I took "try and pay" to mean: "two people tried unsuccessfully to pay him" as opposed to your interpretation which seems to be " two people paid him with great gold coins..." When I use "try and" in spoken English it means the person made the offer, but I didn't agree to it.
– J. Chris Compton
Dec 6 at 17:53
|
show 3 more comments
up vote
7
down vote
I don't quite understand why the singular form of 'try' is being used
It isn't. In that sentence, "try" is a verb. With verbs, the singular version ends in an 's' and the plural version does not (mostly, as always, there are exceptions). So "try" is the plural version of the verb, while "tries" would be singular. "They try and he tries."
Of course, in this case, "try" is being used as a bare infinitive and so is not subject to subject/verb agreement. "I had one try" would also be grammatically correct here.
Others have already explained how words were elided (left out), but I wanted to address this particular point.
answered Dec 7 at 1:25
Brythan
23613
add a comment |
up vote
7
down vote
I don't quite understand why the singular form of 'try' is being used
It isn't. In that sentence, "try" is a verb. With verbs, the singular version ends in an 's' and the plural version does not (mostly, as always, there are exceptions). So "try" is the plural version of the verb, while "tries" would be singular. "They try and he tries."
Of course, in this case, "try" is being used as a bare infinitive and so is not subject to subject/verb agreement. "I had one try" would also be grammatically correct here.
Others have already explained how words were elided (left out), but I wanted to address this particular point.
answered Dec 7 at 1:25
Brythan
23613
add a comment |
up vote
7
down vote
up vote
7
down vote
I don't quite understand why the singular form of 'try' is being used
It isn't. In that sentence, "try" is a verb. With verbs, the singular version ends in an 's' and the plural version does not (mostly, as always, there are exceptions). So "try" is the plural version of the verb, while "tries" would be singular. "They try and he tries."
Of course, in this case, "try" is being used as a bare infinitive and so is not subject to subject/verb agreement. "I had one try" would also be grammatically correct here.
Others have already explained how words were elided (left out), but I wanted to address this particular point.
answered Dec 7 at 1:25
Brythan
23613
I don't quite understand why the singular form of 'try' is being used
It isn't. In that sentence, "try" is a verb. With verbs, the singular version ends in an 's' and the plural version does not (mostly, as always, there are exceptions). So "try" is the plural version of the verb, while "tries" would be singular. "They try and he tries."
Of course, in this case, "try" is being used as a bare infinitive and so is not subject to subject/verb agreement. "I had one try" would also be grammatically correct here.
Others have already explained how words were elided (left out), but I wanted to address this particular point.
answered Dec 7 at 1:25
Brythan
23613
answered Dec 7 at 1:25
Brythan
23613
answered Dec 7 at 1:25
Brythan
23613
answered Dec 7 at 1:25
Brythan
23613
23613
add a comment |
add a comment |
up vote
-2
down vote
The sentence is not technically correct; it should really be: "I had two try to pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago." In this case, "two" is referring to two people.
It could also be correct and mean that they tried and that they paid.
Context would be helpful to figure out the intended meaning.
answered Dec 7 at 14:43
Solomon Ucko
1074
New contributor
Solomon Ucko is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
Many people frown on "try and" but I don't think it's reasonable to claim that it's incorrect.
– David Richerby
Dec 9 at 13:40
add a comment |
up vote
-2
down vote
The sentence is not technically correct; it should really be: "I had two try to pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago." In this case, "two" is referring to two people.
It could also be correct and mean that they tried and that they paid.
Context would be helpful to figure out the intended meaning.
answered Dec 7 at 14:43
Solomon Ucko
1074
New contributor
Solomon Ucko is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
Many people frown on "try and" but I don't think it's reasonable to claim that it's incorrect.
– David Richerby
Dec 9 at 13:40
add a comment |
up vote
-2
down vote
up vote
-2
down vote
The sentence is not technically correct; it should really be: "I had two try to pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago." In this case, "two" is referring to two people.
It could also be correct and mean that they tried and that they paid.
Context would be helpful to figure out the intended meaning.
answered Dec 7 at 14:43
Solomon Ucko
1074
New contributor
Solomon Ucko is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
The sentence is not technically correct; it should really be: "I had two try to pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago." In this case, "two" is referring to two people.
It could also be correct and mean that they tried and that they paid.
Context would be helpful to figure out the intended meaning.
answered Dec 7 at 14:43
Solomon Ucko
1074
New contributor
Solomon Ucko is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited Dec 10 at 2:53
answered Dec 7 at 14:43
Solomon Ucko
1074
New contributor
Solomon Ucko is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered Dec 7 at 14:43
Solomon Ucko
1074
answered Dec 7 at 14:43
Solomon Ucko
1074
1074
New contributor
Solomon Ucko is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Solomon Ucko is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Solomon Ucko is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
Many people frown on "try and" but I don't think it's reasonable to claim that it's incorrect.
– David Richerby
Dec 9 at 13:40
add a comment |
1
Many people frown on "try and" but I don't think it's reasonable to claim that it's incorrect.
– David Richerby
Dec 9 at 13:40
1
1
Many people frown on "try and" but I don't think it's reasonable to claim that it's incorrect.
– David Richerby
Dec 9 at 13:40
Many people frown on "try and" but I don't think it's reasonable to claim that it's incorrect.
– David Richerby
Dec 9 at 13:40
add a comment |
Thanks for contributing an answer to English Language Learners Stack Exchange!
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Some of your past answers have not been well-received, and you're in danger of being blocked from answering.
Please pay close attention to the following guidance:
- Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!
But avoid …
- Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.
- Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.
To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
StackExchange.ready(
function () {
StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fell.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f187635%2fhow-to-understand-i-had-two-try%23new-answer', 'question_page');
}
);
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Sign up or log in
StackExchange.ready(function () {
StackExchange.helpers.onClickDraftSave('#login-link');
});
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Sign up using Google
Sign up using Facebook
Sign up using Email and Password
Post as a guest
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
Required, but never shown
