striven to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "striven to" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to express the effort or struggle to achieve something. Example: "She has striven to improve her skills in order to advance her career."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Like I had striven to be.

The New York Times

For three centuries, Catalonia has striven to regain its independence.

The New York Times

Mr Obama has striven to keep out of Syria.

The Economist

He has striven to promote enterprise by helping small businesses.

The Economist

In an incendiary time, Ossoff has striven to be nonflammable.

The New Yorker

But then she has perhaps always striven to be both.

The Guardian - Sport

Cameron has also striven to show how progressive he is.

The Guardian - Opinion

The actor and writer has always striven to challenge herself.

The Guardian

He later added that he had simply striven "to break even".

The New York Times

Instead he has striven to reduce poverty among children and pensioners.

The Economist

Since then, she has striven to remake her country somewhat in her image.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "striven to" when you want to emphasize the sustained effort and determination put into achieving a goal, especially when facing challenges. It adds a sense of perseverance and commitment to your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "strive for" when you need the past participle form. "Strive for" is used to express a general goal or aspiration, while "striven to" indicates a specific action taken in the past to achieve something. For example, say "She has striven to improve her skills" instead of "She has strive for improve her skills".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "striven to" functions as a purpose connector, linking an action with the intended outcome or goal. As seen in Ludwig's examples, it often follows an auxiliary verb (e.g., 'has', 'have') to form the past participle, indicating a completed or ongoing effort.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Science

15%

Encyclopedias

7%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Reference

3%

Unknown/unmatched sources

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "striven to" is a grammatically correct and very common phrase used to express effort and determination towards achieving a goal. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it functions as a purpose connector and is frequently found in news and media sources, as well as scientific and encyclopedia contexts. When writing, remember to use "striven to" when you want to emphasize a past effort, and avoid confusing it with "strive for", which expresses a general aim. Consider using alternatives such as "endeavored to" or "attempted to" for slight variations in meaning. By following these guidelines, you can effectively use "striven to" to enhance the clarity and impact of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

endeavored to

Emphasizes a serious and determined effort, often in a more formal context.

attempted to

Suggests a trial or experiment, with no guarantee of success.

sought to

Implies a deliberate search or pursuit of something.

tried to

A general term for making an effort, without specifying the level of intensity.

worked towards

Focuses on the sustained effort and progress made in the direction of a goal.

aimed to

Highlights the intention or purpose behind an action.

aspired to

Indicates a strong desire or ambition to achieve something.

labored to

Emphasizes the difficulty and hard work involved in achieving something.

struggled to

Highlights the challenges and obstacles faced while trying to achieve something.

made an effort to

A more explicit and less concise way of expressing effort.

FAQs

How to use "striven to" in a sentence?

"Striven to" is used to indicate a past effort made towards a goal. For example: "He has "striven to" improve his grades this semester".

What can I say instead of "striven to"?

You can use alternatives like "endeavored to", "attempted to", or "sought to" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "striven to" or "strived to"?

"Striven to" is the past participle of "strive" and is generally preferred in formal writing. While "strived" is also a valid past tense form, "striven" is more common and widely accepted.

What's the difference between "strive for" and "striven to"?

"Strive for" expresses a general aim or ambition, while "striven to" describes a specific past action taken to achieve something. For instance, "We strive for excellence", but "We have "striven to" achieve excellence".