"in an effort to" vs "in effort to"

Question

"in an effort to" vs "in effort to"

Both "in an effort to" and "in effort to" are correct, but they are used in slightly different contexts. "In an effort to" is the more common and formal phrase, indicating that someone is making an attempt or taking action to achieve a goal. On the other hand, "in effort to" is less common and may sound a bit awkward, but it can still be used informally to convey a similar meaning.

Last Updated: March 29, 2024

If you are explaining that you did something to try to bring about a result, you can use this phrase.

Explanation provided by a TextRanch English expert

Some examples from our editors:

I did this in an effort to ameliorate the situation.
I changed the contract in an effort to satisfy the client.

Some alternatives from our editors:

so that
to try to

You can use "in effort to" informally to indicate that someone is making an attempt or taking action to achieve a goal. It is less formal than "in an effort to".

Examples:

He cleaned the house in effort to surprise his wife.
She studied hard in effort to pass the exam.

Alternatives:

in an effort to
with the aim of
with the intention of
trying to
striving to

Answer 1

in an effort to

This is correct

Answer 2

in effort to

This phrase is also correct, but it is less common and may sound a bit awkward. It can be used informally to convey a similar meaning to "in an effort to".

"in an effort to" vs "in effort to"

in an effort to

in effort to

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