At basic level, students often have only 'try' for any kind of effort. They tried hard. They tried to learn. But English has several verbs for different combinations of effort and outcome. 'Try' is general — making an effort, with no clear sign of success or failure. 'Attempt' is more formal than try. 'Struggle' suggests difficulty — the effort is hard. 'Manage' suggests success after difficulty — you did it, despite the trouble. 'Succeed' is the clear positive — achieving the goal. Each fits a different situation. Students who use only 'try' miss the precision of these verbs. They cannot distinguish a small attempt from a long struggle, or a successful effort from a failed one. The grammar matters too. Try and attempt take to + verb (try to swim, attempt to climb). Manage takes to + verb (managed to finish). Succeed takes 'in + -ing' (succeed in finishing). Struggle takes 'with' (struggle with the task) or 'to' (struggle to finish). This lesson covers the main verbs of effort and their grammar patterns.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
I tried to learn the song. (general effort — outcome unclear)
I attempted to climb the mountain. (formal — focus on the effort itself)
I struggled to finish my homework. (difficulty — the effort was hard)
I managed to finish my homework. (success after difficulty — I did it, despite the trouble)
I succeeded in passing the exam. (clear success — I achieved the goal)
All five describe effort. What is the small difference between them?
Each verb signals a different combination of effort and outcome. 'Try' is general — making an effort, with the outcome not specified. 'I tried to learn' could mean I succeeded or failed. 'Attempt' is similar to try but more formal. 'I attempted to climb' could be successful or not — it focuses on the effort. 'Struggle' adds difficulty — the effort was hard, with no guarantee of success. 'I struggled to finish' suggests it was not easy. 'Manage' is positive — it suggests success despite difficulty. 'I managed to finish' means I did it, even though it was hard. 'Succeed' is the strongest positive — clear achievement of the goal. 'I succeeded in passing' means I passed. Students who know all five can describe achievements precisely — distinguishing a half-hearted attempt from a determined struggle from a clear success.
Try takes to + verb:
I tried to swim across the river. (= I made an effort)
Attempt takes to + verb:
She attempted to climb the mountain. (= she made the effort)
Manage takes to + verb:
We managed to finish on time. (= we did finish, despite difficulty)
Succeed takes in + -ing (NOT to + verb):
They succeeded in passing the exam. (= they passed)
They succeeded to pass the exam. ✗ (very common error)
Struggle takes to + verb or with + noun:
She struggled to write the essay. (the action was hard)
She struggled with the essay. (the thing was hard)
Which grammar is correct for each verb? Why is this important?
Each verb has its own grammar pattern. Try, attempt, manage all take to + verb. 'I tried to swim', 'I attempted to climb', 'I managed to finish'. But succeed is different — it takes 'in + -ing' (gerund), not 'to + verb'. 'I succeeded in passing' (right). 'I succeeded to pass' (very common error, but wrong). This is one of the most error-heavy verbs at B1 level. Struggle is flexible — it takes 'to + verb' for actions ('struggle to write') or 'with + noun' for things or topics ('struggle with maths'). Students must learn each verb with its grammar pattern. The most important rule to drill: succeed in -ing (not succeed to). This corrects one of the most common errors.
I tried but I failed. (= I tried, but I did not succeed)
I failed to finish on time. (= I did not finish on time)
I did not manage to finish. (= I did not finish, despite trying)
I did not succeed in passing. (= I did not pass)
The positive and negative forms:
Manage to + verb (= success after difficulty)
Fail to + verb (= did not succeed)
Succeed in + -ing (= success)
Fail in + -ing OR fail to + verb (= did not succeed)
Why do students need both positive and negative forms?
Real life includes both successes and failures, and students need to talk about both. 'Manage' has no clear opposite — 'did not manage' is the negative form. 'Fail' is the opposite of succeed and is used directly: 'she failed to pass' or 'she failed the exam'. The grammar of fail is similar to manage and try — fail to + verb. Students should know the positive and negative forms together. Talking about failures is just as important as talking about successes — in stories, in academic discussion, in personal experiences. The key teaching point: fail to + verb (like try, manage, attempt) but NOT fail to + -ing. The pattern matches the positive verbs in this group.
| Verb | Effort + outcome | Grammar pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| try | General effort, outcome unclear | try + to + verb / try + -ing (different meanings) | I tried to swim across the river. (made an effort) |
| attempt | Effort, often formal | attempt + to + verb / attempt + noun | She attempted to climb the mountain. / She attempted the climb. |
| struggle | Effort with difficulty | struggle + to + verb / struggle + with + noun | He struggled to finish the report. / He struggled with the report. |
| manage | Success after difficulty | manage + to + verb | We managed to finish on time despite the problems. |
| succeed | Clear success — achieved the goal | succeed + in + -ing (NOT 'to + verb') | They succeeded in passing all the exams. |
| fail | Did not succeed | fail + to + verb / fail + at + -ing | She failed to pass the test. / He failed at his first try. |
| achieve | Reach a goal — formal | achieve + noun (NOT 'to + verb') | The team achieved a great victory. / We achieved our goal. |
| accomplish | Complete something difficult — formal | accomplish + noun | She accomplished a great deal during her career. |
DISTINCTION 1 — Try vs attempt: Both signal effort, but attempt is more formal. 'I tried to swim' (everyday). 'She attempted to climb the mountain' (more formal, focuses on the effort). For most everyday use, 'try' is enough. Save 'attempt' for formal contexts or stories about big efforts.
DISTINCTION 2 — Try vs struggle: Try is general effort. Struggle adds difficulty. 'I tried to finish my homework' (just an effort). 'I struggled to finish my homework' (the effort was hard). Choose struggle when the effort was difficult.
DISTINCTION 3 — Manage vs succeed: Manage suggests success after difficulty. Succeed is clear success without necessarily indicating difficulty. 'I managed to finish on time' (I did it, despite trouble). 'I succeeded in finishing on time' (I did it, no comment on whether it was hard). Manage is more common in everyday speech; succeed is slightly more formal.
DISTINCTION 4 — Succeed in -ing (not to): This is the most important grammar point. 'Succeed' takes 'in + -ing', not 'to + verb'. 'She succeeded in passing the exam' (right). 'She succeeded to pass the exam' (wrong). This error is very common because students assume succeed takes the same pattern as try and manage. It does not.
DISTINCTION 5 — Achieve and accomplish are formal: Both mean to reach a goal. They are more formal than the everyday verbs. 'The team achieved a great victory' (formal, often in writing). 'She accomplished a lot' (formal). For everyday speech, 'manage' or 'succeed' fit better. Achieve and accomplish suit reports, news, and formal contexts.
Verbs of effort and achievement are useful for talking about goals, work, study, and personal experiences. Students who know only 'try' miss the precision available. The grammar patterns are particularly important to drill — succeed in -ing (not to) is one of the most persistent errors. The lesson connects to academic writing and personal stories — both contexts where students need to describe efforts and outcomes precisely. Teachers should drill the grammar patterns through repeated use in real-life examples (school exam efforts, sports achievements, life goals) until the patterns become automatic.
When teaching the grammar, write the patterns on the board in a fixed format. TRY + TO + verb. ATTEMPT + TO + verb. MANAGE + TO + verb. SUCCEED + IN + -ing. FAIL + TO + verb. Drill these patterns until students can produce them at speed. The succeed in -ing pattern needs special attention — it is the trickiest.
Choose the best verb of effort for each situation. Think about the combination of effort and outcome.
Each sentence has a problem with a verb of effort — wrong grammar pattern, wrong word, or both. Suggest a better version and explain.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — Five verbs for effort and outcome (5 min): Write the five verbs on the board: try, attempt, struggle, manage, succeed. Show one example sentence for each. Discuss the small differences. Try is general. Attempt is formal. Struggle adds difficulty. Manage is success after difficulty. Succeed is clear success.
STEP 2 — Match to situation (6 min): Give five short situations: a casual effort with no clear outcome (try), a formal effort like climbing a mountain (attempt), a hard effort (struggle), a hard effort that succeeded (manage), a clear success (succeed). Discuss why each verb fits.
STEP 3 — The grammar patterns (8 min): Drill the patterns. TRY + TO + verb. ATTEMPT + TO + verb. MANAGE + TO + verb. STRUGGLE + TO + verb OR + WITH + noun. SUCCEED + IN + -ing. FAIL + TO + verb. The most important rule: succeed in -ing (not to). Drill this until automatic.
STEP 4 — Negative forms (5 min): Show the negative side. Did not manage to. Failed to. Did not succeed in. These are useful for talking about things that did not work. Practise five examples mixing positive (managed, succeeded) and negative (failed, did not manage).
STEP 5 — Talk about your achievements (5 min): Each student produces three sentences using three different verbs from the lesson. They should describe real efforts in their life — at school, at home, in sports. Share in pairs. Partner checks: were the right verbs and grammar used?
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
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