a second tried to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a second tried to" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when describing an action or attempt made within a brief moment of time. Example: "A second tried to escape, but the door was locked."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

While as many as 2,000 callers a second tried to use the service, demand was so heavy that only about 12 calls a second -- not all 2,000 -- were successful.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

I paused for a second trying to figure out how to respond to a comment I never expected.

Huffington Post

You don't have to spend a second trying to overcome it, if you simply wrap your arms around it and make it your best friend.

Huffington Post

First one person was swept away, then a second one tried to rescue that person and then a third tried to save the other two.

Los Angeles Times

A fourth tries to shield Eli Lilly from lawsuits seeking billions of dollars for families of autistic children.

The Economist

I said that I spent a third of my time trying to find new business, a third trying to keep the business we had already earned, and the other third trying to collect for all the services we had performed.

Los Angeles Times

On a second try, to 5 minutes.

The New York Times

Mr Ahern plans, one day, a second try to get the Nice treaty through.

The Economist

A second try to Canberra's Sisa Waqa with five minutes remaining, converted beautifully from the sideline by Canberra captain Jarrod Croker, levelled scores at 34-34.

The Guardian - Sport

Brett Stewart struck back for Manly, but Hall grabbed a second try to make it 16-6 thethomeome side at half-time.

BBC

Don't waste a single second trying to alter it for the sake of appearance alone.

HuffPost

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a second tried to" when indicating a direct follow-up attempt, especially in narratives or reports of events where sequential actions are important.

Common error

Avoid using "a second tried to" when you mean to imply multiple attempts or indefinite follow-ups. "Another tried to" might be more appropriate if the sequence isn't specifically limited to two.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a second tried to" functions as part of a clause, specifically detailing an action undertaken by a subsequent actor or entity. It adds sequential information and details the attempts. As Ludwig AI suggests, it effectively describes a follow-up attempt in a narrative.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Academia

25%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a second tried to" is a grammatically sound and usable phrase for indicating a follow-up attempt or action. While not exceedingly common, as only a limited number of examples have been found by Ludwig, it effectively serves to narrate sequential events in a clear and concise manner. The sources identified by Ludwig show its presence in news reporting, scientific articles and academic text. It is important to make sure to consider the more specific alternative phrases to add meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

another attempt was made

Replaces "second" with "another" and restructures the sentence to emphasize the attempt.

a subsequent effort was undertaken

Uses more formal language like "subsequent" and "undertaken" for a more professional tone.

a further attempt was initiated

Emphasizes the initiation of the attempt using "initiated" instead of "tried".

the next one attempted to

Focuses on the ordinal position of the attempt, replacing "second" with "next one".

a renewed effort was directed at

Highlights the renewed aspect of the effort, implying a previous attempt.

a follow-up attempt occurred

Uses "follow-up" to indicate the sequential nature of the attempt.

the other one endeavored to

Replaces "tried" with "endeavored" for a slightly more formal tone.

a repeated attempt was launched

Stresses the repetition of the attempt with the word "repeated".

a fresh attempt commenced

Highlights the newness of the attempt using "fresh" and "commenced".

another individual gave it a shot

Uses more informal language, replacing "second" with "another individual" and "tried" with "gave it a shot".

FAQs

How can I use "a second tried to" in a sentence?

Use "a second tried to" to indicate that someone or something made another attempt after a previous one, for example, "After the first attempt failed, "a second tried to" open the locked door".

What are some alternatives to "a second tried to"?

You can use alternatives like "another attempt was made", "a subsequent effort was undertaken", or "the next one attempted to" depending on the context and desired level of formality. See the related phrases section for more options.

Is it grammatically correct to say "a second tried to"?

Yes, "a second tried to" is grammatically correct. It follows the standard English sentence structure of article + ordinal number + verb + infinitive.

What's the difference between "a second tried to" and "another tried to"?

"A second tried to" implies that there was a specific first attempt already made or known, whereas "another tried to" is more general and doesn't necessarily imply a specific prior attempt. If you need a similar meaning for "another tried to" take a look at "a different person tried to" or "someone else tried to".