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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > "Tries" as plural form
"Tries" as plural form
aldonza
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"Tries" as plural form
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Hello!
I�ve got a question with
respect to the plural of "try".
Would you say "Despite four tries, he didn�t
pass his driving test"? or, does it sound more natural to say "Despite his
four attempts, he didn�t pass his driving test"?
I am familiar with the
singular form of "try" as a noun; for example, "to give a try", but I don�t know
if native speakers say "after four or five tries". Could you tell me if it is good English,
and if the clause "despite four tries" is correct, please?
Thanks in
advance
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14 Nov 2012
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Zora
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"Despite four tries, he didn�t
pass his driving test" is much more natural than the other one.
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14 Nov 2012
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Dr. Ahmad El-Maghraby
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A try is used as a noun meaning "an attempt". The plural is "tries". It is linguistically correct to use the plural to mean "attempts". Yet it is also common to use it in sports, especially Rugby, to mean "scores".
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14 Nov 2012
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douglas
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Linda (Zora) is right as usual.
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14 Nov 2012
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yanogator
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Yes, Linda is right. "Attempts" is more formal. Bruce |
14 Nov 2012
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