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After a few attempts to completing the letter...



 
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Expression "From within" | Be it ever so humble, there is...
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After a few attempts to completing the letter... #1 (permalink) Fri Aug 18, 2006 9:25 am   After a few attempts to completing the letter...		  
Hello

Please see below. Which one is correct?

1-After a few attempts to completing the letter, he finally gave up.

2-After a few attempts to complete the letter, he finally gave up.

Tom
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Attempt #2 (permalink) Fri Aug 18, 2006 9:42 am   Attempt		  
Hi Tom,

I don't really like the first of these two constructions, in fact it's wrong:

-
Quote:
1 After a few attempts to completing the letter, he finally gave up.

2-After a few attempts to complete the letter, he finally gave up.


The usual preposition after attempt as a noun would be at:

After a few attempts at completing ...

The second one is acceptable since the preposition after the verb attempt would be to: attempt to do something but I'm not really happy with that and I would say:

After making a few attempts to complete ... or
Having attempted to complete the letter a few times he ...

Alan
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