attempt to becoming

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "attempt to becoming" is not correct in written English.
The correct form would be "attempt to become." Example: "She made an attempt to become a better public speaker by practicing regularly."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

MILAN (AP) -- Barcelona's attempt to becoming European soccer's first repeat champion in two decades was jeopardized with a 3-1 loss to Inter Milan on Tuesday night in the first leg of a Champions League semifinal.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Likewise, my friends and I "girled" ourselves -- giggling, pretending not to understand sexual references and more -- in an attempt to avoid becoming the thing we most dreaded becoming: women.

Huffington Post

His new mission, then, is less a hunt for the murderer than an attempt to avoid becoming the stiff himself.

The Guardian - Books

So on the advice of my lawyers, and in an attempt to avoid becoming somebody's bitch inside, I'm going to avoid being too specific.

Independent

Aspiration criteria and short-term memory were employed within tabu search in an attempt to avoid becoming trapped in local optima.

European Journal of Operational Research

This is based on the human memory process and uses an iterative neighborhood search procedure in an attempt to avoid becoming trapped in local optima.

European Journal of Operational Research

WASHINGTON -- Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) on Thursday asked President Barack Obama to take his name off his list of potential Supreme Court nominees, in an attempt to avoid becoming a pawn in the nasty partisan battle raging in Washington.

Huffington Post

Seemingly minor additions, these changes see Clipboard attempting to move even closer to becoming an Evernote competitor, a similar service which also allows both web clipping and content creation.

TechCrunch

Linker, whose book "The Theocons" will be published this fall, says that Douthat's attempt at "becoming less scary to the moody center of the political spectrum" is "just tactics": "And the end is the same: the coercive imposition of Catholic-Christian moral absolutes on a modern nation currently lacking in a Catholic-Christian cultural consensus".

The New York Times

Bad weather and technical glitches forced him to abort several attempts at becoming the first to fly a balloon around the world without stopping.

The New Yorker

After studies at the University of Wisconsin and an initial attempt at becoming a painter, Hansberry moved to New York to begin a career as a writer.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the correct infinitive form "to become" instead of "to becoming" after the word "attempt". This ensures grammatical accuracy.

Common error

Avoid using the gerund form "becoming" after "to" when you intend to use the infinitive. "To" is often followed by the base form of the verb (e.g. "to become"), not the gerund (e.g. "becoming").

Linguistic Context

The phrase "attempt to becoming" functions as a noun phrase followed by a preposition and a gerund. However, it is grammatically incorrect as the correct usage requires the infinitive form, "to become". As Ludwig AI explains, the correct form is "attempt to become".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "attempt to becoming" appears in some contexts, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "attempt to become". As Ludwig AI points out, using the infinitive form "to become" is essential for grammatical accuracy. The examples show that the phrase aims to convey an intention or effort toward achieving a particular state, but its incorrect usage undermines its effectiveness. When writing, it is better to use the correct form, "attempt to become", or consider alternatives like "try to become" or "endeavor to become" for clearer and more accurate communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

make an attempt to become

Expands the original phrase to emphasize the action of making an attempt, but still corrects the verb to "become".

try to become

A more direct and common alternative, substituting "attempt" with "try" and correcting the verb to "become".

aim to become

Substitutes "attempt" with "aim", suggesting a focused intention, and corrects the verb to "become".

effort to become

Uses the noun "effort" instead of the verb "attempt", requiring a slight restructuring of the sentence, and corrects the verb to "become".

endeavor to become

Replaces "attempt" with the more formal "endeavor" and corrects the verb form to "become".

strive to become

Replaces "attempt" with "strive", indicating a sustained and dedicated effort, and corrects the verb to "become".

seek to become

Replaces "attempt" with "seek", implying a pursuit or quest, and corrects the verb to "become".

aspire to become

Indicates a strong desire or ambition to become something.

venture to become

Suggests a bold or risky undertaking to become something.

take steps to become

Focuses on the actions taken towards becoming something, shifting the emphasis from the attempt itself to the process.

FAQs

How to correctly use "attempt to become" in a sentence?

Use the base form of the verb after "to". For example, instead of "attempt to becoming", use "attempt to become". A correct sentence is: "She made an "attempt to become" a better public speaker".

What are some alternatives to the phrase "attempt to become"?

You can use phrases such as "try to become", "endeavor to become", or "make an effort to become", depending on the context and desired formality.

Is "attempt to becoming" grammatically correct?

No, "attempt to becoming" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "attempt to become". The word "to" in this context requires the base form of the verb.

What's the difference between "attempt to become" and "attempt at becoming"?

"Attempt to become" implies a direct effort towards achieving a state, while "attempt at becoming" suggests an effort directed at the process of changing. For example, "He made an "attempt to become" fluent in French" versus "His "attempt at becoming" a musician was admirable".