he explains trying

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "he explains trying" is not correct in standard written English.
It lacks clarity and proper grammatical structure, making it difficult to understand the intended meaning. Example: "In his lecture, he explains trying to balance work and life."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

He is, he explains, trying to get students to be subversive by making sure they are aware of those issues and ask searching questions.

The Economist

Mr. Pearce plays an insurance investigator afflicted with short-term amnesia ("I can't make new memories," he explains), trying to track down his wife's murderer with the help of a sheaf of Polaroids, a chest full of tattoos and a couple of shady characters (Mr. Pantoliano and Ms. Moss).

The New York Times

Mr. Pearce plays an insurance investigator afflicted with short-term amnesia ("I can't make new memories," he explains), trying to track down his wife's murderer with the help of a sheaf of Polaroids, a chest full of tattoos and a couple of shady characters.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

All of them, he explains, try to make money in roughly the same ways: by staging events, including games; by building television audiences; through digital media; through marketing partnerships; and by selling merchandise.

The Economist

That means, he explained, trying to find more shows like "House," which can live on in syndication and DVD sales "and be an asset 8, 9, 10 years down the road".

The New York Times - Arts

And that's a little bit depressing," he explained, trying to come to terms with a decision he says hit him like a "sledgehammer".

BBC

AOL Time Warner, he explained, tried to portray itself as having the growth trajectory of a much smaller technology company, a pace that was simply unrealistic for a behemoth with $40 billion in annual sales.

The New York Times

Critics slammed it, he explains, for "trying to be truthful and fanciful at the same time".

The New York Times - Books

In his images, he explains, he tries to "cut my furrow steadily".

The New York Times - Arts

"For a long time," he explains, "I tried to cater to both of those things.

The Guardian - Music

"Stylistically," he explains, "I try be an expressionist, to use the camera to push the emotion of the scene.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity, use the construction "he explains that he is trying to" to properly convey both the explanation and the attempt, ensuring grammatical correctness.

Common error

Don't omit necessary auxiliary verbs like "is" or conjunctions like "that" when describing someone's attempt to explain something. Omitting these creates a grammatically unsound phrase.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "he explains trying" attempts to describe an action of explanation combined with an effort or attempt. However, grammatically, it's incomplete and requires additional words to form a coherent clause. The original sentence needs improvements to become acceptable.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "he explains trying" is grammatically incorrect and lacks clarity, though a few examples can be found in news media. Ludwig AI highlights the grammatical issues. To improve the phrase, use alternatives like "he is trying to explain" or "he explains that he is trying". These options ensure grammatical correctness and enhance clarity. When aiming for formal writing, always prioritize grammatically complete and clear expressions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

he is trying to explain

Adds "is" to clarify the ongoing action of explaining, resolving the grammatical issue of the original phrase.

he attempts to explain

Replaces "trying" with "attempts", offering a more formal and grammatically correct way to convey the intended meaning.

he explains that he is trying

Introduces "that he is" to create a complete clause, making the sentence grammatically sound and easier to understand.

he describes his attempt to explain

Uses "describes his attempt" to convey the act of explaining, providing a more descriptive and grammatically correct alternative.

he clarifies his efforts in trying

Employs "clarifies his efforts" to emphasize the clarification of one's attempts, offering a more precise and formal expression.

he is endeavoring to explain

Substitutes "trying" with "endeavoring", resulting in a more formal and elevated expression.

he details his process of trying to explain

Adds "details his process" to emphasize a thorough explanation of the method, providing a more informative and grammatically sound option.

he outlines his efforts to explain

Uses "outlines his efforts" to suggest a structured and organized explanation, offering a more detailed and formal alternative.

he elucidates his attempts at explaining

Replaces the original with "elucidates his attempts", presenting a more sophisticated and formal way to describe the act of clarifying attempts.

he specifies what he's trying to explain

Uses "specifies what he's" to highlight a detailed and precise description, offering a more emphatic and clear alternative.

FAQs

What's grammatically wrong with "he explains trying"?

The phrase "he explains trying" is grammatically incorrect because it lacks an auxiliary verb and a conjunction to properly connect the explanation with the attempt. A correct version would be "he explains that he is trying".

How can I rephrase "he explains trying" to make it correct?

You can use alternatives like "he is trying to explain", "he attempts to explain", or "he explains that he is trying" to achieve grammatical accuracy.

Is "he explains trying" ever appropriate in formal writing?

No, "he explains trying" is not appropriate in formal writing due to its grammatical incorrectness. Always use a grammatically complete alternative.

What's the difference between "he explains trying" and "he describes trying"?

While both phrases are grammatically questionable, "he describes trying" might be marginally better in certain contexts where "describes" functions more like a gerund. However, it's still advisable to use grammatically sound alternatives like "he describes his attempt to explain".