Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hiromichi]

To me the sentence below seems odd. TRY is of a connotation of activeness. So I would rather say, "I tried to enjoy the movie."

I tried to be excited about the movie.

I like to appreciate your comments.
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Hiromichi

[redset]

Well it's still active, the implication was that the movie didn't really excite the speaker, but he tried to be excited about it - looking for some positive aspects, reading some good reviews, anything to make him look forward to the movie more. It's a very common use of try:

I tried to be friendly (even though I didn't like her)
Let's try to be positive! (make the effort to look on the bright side and be optimistic)
Try to be calm (I know you're scared, but try to control your emotions)

Sometimes be *verb* actually counts as an action (for example be friendly can mean act in a friendly manner). Some constructions represent a passive state, such as being calm - this is your body's reaction to events and situations, not something you actively choose. Using try with these constructions implies that you'll do your best to take action, and maybe try to think differently, so that the situation or your perceptions change and you react in a different way. Nobody can turn excitement on or off at will, but they can do things which might change how they feel.

[hiromichi]

redset:
I corrected my perception in this regard. Thank you very much.
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Hiromichi