# aim at / aim to



## olefebvr

Hello,
I'd like to know the difference of meaning between these two forms.
I aim at doing / I aim to do.

This is unclear to me if they are equivalent or if aim at is a bit aggressive, or if I miss something else...

Thanks in advance,
Olivier


----------



## elroy

Welcome to the forums, Olivier.

Tough question - let me try:

I aim at doing something. = I strive to do something.

_*By using illustrations in class, I aim at enhancing my theoretical lectures with visual aids.*_

I aim to do something. = I attempt/plan to do something.

_*This year, I aim to get back in touch with all of my high school friends.*_

Hm...I'm not sure that's a good explanation.  Perhaps someone else can explain the difference better - if there is one at all.


----------



## olefebvr

Hello,
Thank you for your answer Elroy, I think I get the nuance between the two.
Regards,
Olivier


----------



## Isotta

elroy said:
			
		

> Welcome to the forums, Olivier.
> 
> Tough question - let me try:
> 
> I aim at doing something. = I strive to do something.
> 
> _*By using illustrations in class, I aim at enhancing my theoretical lectures with visual aids.*_
> 
> I aim to do something. = I attempt/plan to do something.
> 
> _*This year, I aim to get back in touch with all of my high school friends.*_



Your example of the figurative "aim at" sounds bizarre to me. I think it's always "aim to" plus the infinitive. I would only say "aim at" in relation to a target:

Billy gawt a good whoopin' when he aimed his BB gun *at* little Brenda.
I've always loved Geraldine, and I aim *to* marry her.

Z.


----------



## James Stephens

Round these parts, *aim to* and *aim at* meaning _*intend to*_ are colloquial, often heard, but rarely written. These expressions are sometimes used by speakers who wish to be amusing or deliberately informal; for others, it is a part of their normal speech.


----------



## nycphotography

elroy said:
			
		

> *By using illustrations in class, I aim at enhancing my theoretical lectures with visual aids.*


 
For some reason I can't quite explain, I don't like that construct.

I personally, would say it as:

*By using illustrations in class, I aim to enhance my theoretical lectures with visual aids.*

Perhaps its the _intend_ synonym sticking in my head, perhaps not. We aim at a target, and we intend or aim "to do" something. And a gerund isn't really a target...or is it??

But I would also probably automatically "correct" it if I were editing someone else's work. Probably leading to a usage argument.

Hmm.


----------



## olefebvr

Hello,
I thought it was all clear with the first answer but it is getting more and more complicated indeed.

The things that "aims" in my context is a project, a research, a work, a study, etc. For instance:
- this project aims at applying the new results to this application field...
- this research field aims to go beyond usual devices...

With the meaning of "intend", "strive", "attempt". 
Which form would you suggest ?
Thank you for your help,
Olivier


----------



## judkinsc

olefebvr said:
			
		

> Hello,
> I thought it was all clear with the first answer but it is getting more and more complicated indeed.
> 
> The things that "aims" in my context is a project, a research, a work, a study, etc. For instance:
> - this project aims at applying the new results to this application field...
> - this research field aims to go beyond usual devices...
> 
> With the meaning of "intend", "strive", "attempt".
> Which form would you suggest ?
> Thank you for your help,
> Olivier


I suggest using "aim" (at/to) when there is a, hopefully literal, "target" you wish to hit.

I would not use "at" followed by a gerund (applying).
I would use "at" followed by an article and a noun.  "We are aiming at the target."  A very literal target...while you are holding a bow for archery or a rifle.

And to use "aim to" for your other uses, with an infinitive.


----------



## nycphotography

As noted above, I would suggest the following usage:

- this project aims *to apply* the new results to this application field...
- this research field aims *to go* beyond usual devices...

Others may have more to offer, but my personal rule is... when in doubt (and not producing literature) go with the proven winner.


----------



## James Stephens

intend to = set out to do, have as a goal
strive = to work to accomplish 
attempt = to try to accomplish
proposes = suggests as its goal

I kinda like *strives to apply the new results*
and *field proposes to go beyond the usual*


----------



## whatonearth

For me, "aim to" (hope to/try to etc) sounds fine. However, I can't say I've ever heard "aim at" used in any context...the examples given above sound awkward to me...


----------



## elroy

Hm...I'm beginning to think "aim at doing" and "aim to do" mean the same thing, and that the former is simply indicative of a sloppier style.  I know for a fact that I've heard/seen/read it used - so it's not completely unthinkable - but I guess it's just not good style.  I for one would most likely go with "aim to do."  Just some thoughts.


----------



## katinks

elroy said:


> Welcome to the forums, Olivier.
> 
> Tough question - let me try:
> 
> I aim at doing something. = I strive to do something.
> 
> _*By using illustrations in class, I aim at enhancing my theoretical lectures with visual aids.*_
> 
> I aim to do something. = I attempt/plan to do something.
> 
> _*This year, I aim to get back in touch with all of my high school friends.*_
> 
> Hm...I'm not sure that's a good explanation.  Perhaps someone else can explain the difference better - if there is one at all.



Hello everyone, I hope I'm doing this right as this is the first time I have written here, but I've been using these forums for a few months now and have found some extremely useful stuff, thank you everyone. I just wanted to add to this discussion (only 5 years late!) that I agree with Elroy's initial analysis, and so does the free dictionary.

Keep up the good work everyone, it is all very enlightening!


----------



## Alejo Xu

Hi everyone,

I know this is an old thread already but I decide to add one more thing lest anyone find this useful. 

Cambridge dictionary suggests the same usage as elroy did; dictionary(dot)com, however, suggests both _*aim at *_and _*aim to *_can mean "to strife".


----------



## e2efour

Welcome to the English forum, Alejo Xu!

I would never use _aim at -ing. _If this construction is used, it is overwhelmingly less common than _aim to _(e.g. on COCA, the US corpus)_.

_However, I would use it in the passive:_ This policy is aimed at eliminating poverty.
_


----------



## sunyaer

e2efour said:


> ...
> 
> However, I would use it in the passive:_ This policy is aimed at eliminating poverty.
> _



Does this work?
_
"This policy is aimed to eliminate poverty."_


----------



## PaulQ

No. It sounds awkward and lumpy - not natural at all.


----------



## El_Andy

Hi,
I remember clearly back in the day at school when learning english that the correct grammatical rule was "to aim at something". My guess would be that with time this grammatical rule has been taken over by a wrong use of grammar (aim to). This is unfortunately too common, I noticed ,with English grammar rules...


----------



## Andygc

El_Andy said:


> the correct grammatical rule was "to aim at something"


A rather inadequate grammatical rule.

The form "to aim to {_infinitive}_" has been around for a few hundred years and is perfectly correct English.



> 1745  E. Haywood _Female Spectator_ II. 313  But to return to that Subject, which..both the above-cited Letters, in my Judgment, aim to prove.
> 
> 2011  _Hull Daily Mail_ (Nexis) 11 July 4  Like all NHS organisations, our capital budget has been reduced significantly as we aim to make substantial savings over the next five years.


----------



## El_Andy

OK andy! My mistake.
Thanks for the correction and my inadequate assumptions


----------



## Mohamed Wagih

......"No need for confusion. Use "aim to" when you refer to yourself, and "aim at" when you refer to a third party. e.g We "aimed to" ..... or This paper "aimed at .
Here, "This paper" is the third party!!


----------



## Andygc

I'm afraid that doesn't work.
"We aimed to win the war."
"We aimed at winning the war."
"This paper aims to show that the Moon is made of cheese."
"This paper aims at showing that the Moon is made of cheese."

I don't think your understanding of "third party" matches it's normal meaning, but that would be a topic for another thread.


----------



## Englishmypassion

Andygc said:


> "We aimed to win the war."
> "We aimed at winning the war."
> "This paper aims to show that the Moon is made of cheese."
> "This paper aims at showing that the Moon is made of cheese."
> 
> 
> 
> Hello, Andy,
> Why does the second example work but not the fourth?
> 
> Many thanks.[/QUOTE]
Click to expand...


----------



## Englishmypassion

I found this in the OALD :
*aim* 
1. to try or plan to achieve something.
...
*-- at doing sth. *_They're aiming at training everybody by the end of the year. 

_
Here "aim at" is followed by a gerund and the sentence is in the active voice. How foes the OALD finds it fine?  
Thanks a lot.


----------



## Andygc

A scientific paper would normally start with a stated aim:

*Aim*
To demonstrate that the Moon is made of cheese.

That seems to make "This paper aims at showing that the Moon is made of cheese" unnatural. 

I don't think there are any hard-and-fast rules. If we use the active form we are more likely to use the infinitive and if we use the passive form we use the gerund (always?). Examples from earlier in the thread:

I aim to enhance my theoretical lectures with visual aids. 
This policy is aimed at eliminating poverty. 
This policy is aimed to eliminate poverty. 

Oddly, I can accept "We aimed at winning the war" in the past tense, but I find the present tense "We aim at winning the war" less acceptable.


----------



## Englishmypassion

Thanks a lot. 
Then I feel you would also recommend using "They aim to train" in the Oxford example in my post #24 above. Right?
Thanks.


----------



## Andygc

I would use "to train" in that example, but that's just my preference. _They're aiming to train everybody by the end of the year. _However, I think that the continuous tense makes "at training" much more idiomatic than with the simple present.
_They're aiming at training everybody by the end of the year.
They aim at training everybody by the end of the year. _ (my personal reaction)
Perhaps it's the alliteration that makes it work - "aiming" ... "training".


----------



## Englishmypassion

Andygc said:


> Perhaps it's the alliteration that makes it work - "aiming" ... "training".




Thanks a ton, Andy.


----------



## marcap6

The best explanation that I found on Oxford Dictionaries Site was aim verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

I think it clears up a lot of doubts


----------



## Andygc

marcap6 said:


> The best explanation that I found on Oxford Dictionaries Site


 It doesn't offer an explanation, it provides example sentences showing the range of prepositions which can be used with "aim".


----------



## marcap6

Andygc said:


> It doesn't offer an explanation, it provides example sentences showing the range of prepositions which can be used with "aim".


Well, I thought the whole point of this thread was to clear up whether you could use aim with at or to and based on these examples it is clear to me that you can use them both. Sometimes it is not necessary a deep explanation to understand the practical usage of a preposition.


----------



## Warped

I was taught that "aim to do something" was wrong (if that was the word the teacher used), whereas "aim at doing something" was correct. "His aim is to do something" works with the infinitive form.


----------



## Andygc

marcap6 said:


> and based on these examples it is clear to me that you can use them both.


If you read this thread you will see clear statements that you cannot always use "aim to" and "aim at" interchangeably. For example see posts #4, 15 and 17.


----------



## marcap6

"Arguments over grammar and style are often as fierce as those over IBM versus Mac, and as fruitless as Coke versus Pepsi and boxers versus briefs" -


Andygc said:


> If you read this thread you will see clear statements that you cannot always use "aim to" and "aim at" interchangeably. For example see posts #4, 15 and 17.



well, I never said interchangeably I just said that both can be used. The examples are just for people to understand better when to use "to" or "at".  If an explanation is needed then read post #2. I think the difference is pretty clear there.

"Arguments over grammar and style are often as fierce as those over IBM versus Mac, and as fruitless as Coke versus Pepsi and boxers versus briefs" 

Jack Lynch


----------



## Andygc

As it says in post #2





elroy said:


> Hm...I'm not sure that's a good explanation.


Indeed. This is not an argument over grammar or style, it is a thread that, without argument, has discussed idiomatic usage.


----------



## sunyaer

Andygc said:


> I would use "to train" in that example, but that's just my preference. _They're aiming to train everybody by the end of the year. _However, I think that the continuous tense makes "at training" much more idiomatic than with the simple present.
> ...



Does the continuous tense makes "to train" work in _They're aiming to train everybody by the end of the year?_


----------



## e2efour

_They're aiming to train_ is no different from _They aim to train _as far as the use of the infinitive is concerned.


----------



## annabelharrison

I think there are huge differences in dialect, hence all the seemingly contradictory comments.

Andygc - you said that you're happy with the second example below. I am not. I have been persuaded it is correct in some American English but it sounds wrong to my English English ear. I prefer the weapon reading of *aim at*.
>I aim to enhance my theoretical lectures with visual aids. 
>This policy is aimed at eliminating poverty. 
>This policy is aimed to eliminate poverty. 

Secondly, it is worth pointing out that you have introduced a further complication - your second and third examples are passive. Whilst this works for *aim at*, it doesn't work for *aim to*. Andygc - Your third example should in fact be
*This policy aims to eliminate poverty. 
*
There is no reason to make it passive, and it does not work. Does it sound better now?


----------



## Andygc

First, I didn't introduce any complications.


Andygc said:


> *Examples from earlier in the thread*:
> 
> I aim to enhance my theoretical lectures with visual aids.
> This policy is aimed at eliminating poverty.
> This policy is aimed to eliminate poverty.





nycphotography said:


> By using illustrations in class, I aim to enhance my theoretical lectures with visual aids.





e2efour said:


> However, I would use it in the passive:_ This policy is aimed at eliminating poverty._





sunyaer said:


> Does this work?
> _
> "This policy is aimed to eliminate poverty."_


You said


annabelharrison said:


> Your third example should in fact be
> *This policy aims to eliminate poverty.
> *
> There is no reason to make it passive, and it does not work. Does it sound better now?


"*Should* be"? Apart from it not being my example, why "*should*"? "Does not work"? There is nothing wrong with using the passive, and using the passive in the way e2efour did in his example is perfectly normal in British English - which both he and I speak.


annabelharrison said:


> second and third examples are passive. Whilst this works for *aim at*, it doesn't work for *aim to*


Who claimed that it did? Not I, as should be perfectly clear from my use of .


----------



## BB*

After reading all your contributions,  am I right if I sum it up this way:
 Aim to do something
But
 Be aimed at doing something 
Or once again I didn't get it ?!
Thanks 😉


----------



## toussman80

Cambridge sais that aim at + gerund is 100% correct. 

(_with _to, at) to plan, intend or to have as one’s purpose 

- He aims at finishing tomorrow.  

aim | translate English to French: Cambridge Dictionary


----------



## Andygc

"Cambridge" does not say that anything is 100% correct. The translation you quote is from the PASSWORD English-French Dictionary © 2014 K Dictionaries Ltd.  K Dictionaries Ltd is a company based in Tel Aviv that specialises in providing translations. We cannot tell if an Israeli source is a reliable source of idiomatic English. There's certainly nothing ungrammatical about "He aims at finishing tomorrow", but the discussion here has been about idiomatic usage, and there are plenty of posts that suggest that most of the native English speaker would find "He aims at finishing tomorrow" unacceptable.


----------



## toussman80

Andygc said:


> "Cambridge" does not say that anything is 100% correct. The translation you quote is from the PASSWORD English-French Dictionary © 2014 K Dictionaries Ltd.  K Dictionaries Ltd is a company based in Tel Aviv that specialises in providing translations. We cannot tell if an Israeli source is a reliable source of idiomatic English. There's certainly nothing ungrammatical about "He aims at finishing tomorrow", but the discussion here has been about idiomatic usage, and there are plenty of posts that suggest that most of the native English speaker would find "He aims at finishing tomorrow" unacceptable.




what? PASSWORD? Israeli source? Sorry, if I'm not mistaken the translation I quoted is from: 

Cambridge University Press, University Printing House, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge, CB2 8BS, UK.
Website Terms of Use

You go to the official webpage of the university press,  cambridge.org  --> digital products --> you click 'cambridge dictionary' and it takes you here: Cambridge Dictionary | English Dictionary, Translations & Thesaurus

Then you type:  aim / or / aim at  and you check the results. 

Cheers,


----------



## Andygc

Try reading the details on the web page you linked to, which acknowledges the source, and which I quoted verbatim. There are two such acknowledgements on that page. 

(Translation of aim from the GLOBAL English-French Dictionary© 2016 K Dictionaries Ltd)
and
(Translation of aim from the PASSWORD English-French Dictionary © 2014 K Dictionaries Ltd)

Please do try to be a bit more careful when identifying your sources. Particularly when you are telling native English speakers what is right or wrong in their own language.


----------



## freeagent

I'm not a native speaker of English. However i would like to share my opinion regarding the subject.

As far as i understood "aim at" has two different meanings. 

He aimed the gun at me (the literal meaning)
The tutorial aims at teaching you the best techniques (It is more likely a figurative meaning)

Correct me if i'm wrong.

Thank you in advance.


----------

