Attempt Doing vs. Attempt To Do
Oxford presents the verb “attempt” with a to-infinitive or a direct noun object. Its noun entry separately documents “attempt at doing,” so “attempt doing” should not be treated as an interchangeable verb-complement alternative to “attempt to do.”
As a verb, use “attempt to do”: “They attempted to leave.” For an -ing form, the standard construction is commonly the noun phrase “an attempt at doing,” not bare verb + -ing.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Form of “attempt” | Pattern | Use |
|---|---|---|
| verb | attempt + to-infinitive | try to perform an action |
| noun | an attempt at + -ing | a try at an activity |
| verb + noun object | attempt + noun | attempt the crossing |
Quick tests
Part-of-speech test
Is “attempt” the verb directly introducing the action?
If yes: Use “attempt + to-infinitive.”
If no: If “attempt” is a noun, “an attempt at + -ing” can express the activity.
Caveat: The noun pattern “attempt at doing” does not license bare verb “attempt doing” as an interchangeable complement.
Examples
They attempted to restart the server.
Verb “attempt” takes the to-infinitive.
It was an attempt at restarting the server without downtime.
The -ing form follows “at” in the noun phrase.
They attempted restarting the server.
Better: They attempted to restart the server.
The reviewed direct verb complement uses a to-infinitive.
Further guidance
Boundary
Do not infer from “attempt at doing” that bare verb “attempt doing” is the normal parallel to “attempt to do.”
Noun Pattern
Use an attempt at + -ing when “attempt” is a noun followed by the activity being tried.
Verb Pattern
Use attempt + to-infinitive when “attempt” is the verb meaning try to perform an action.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- attempt — Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries · Attempt as a verb with a to-infinitive complement