The Expression

The expression for this week is “try your hand at.” In this case, the expression is actually a phrasal verb, a verb that is made of several words.

Meaning

This phrasal verb means to try a new activity. It usually talks about a new hobby or a new project.

How to use it

We use this phrasal verb with most of the pronouns: my, your, his, her, our, their. but the plural pronouns are less common. We use this phrasal verb with gerunds, which are nouns made from verbs. And we will also sometimes use it with regular nouns. “Try your hand at” does not always take an object. It is sometimes used at the end of a sentence.

Examples

Here are some easy examples.

I’m going to try my hand at sculpting.

He has decided to try his hand at using a Mac.

I want to find something new to try my hand at.

your turn:

here are two ways for extra practice. Watch the video below for a spoken explanation and some examples that you can listen to and repeat. And you can add your own examples in the comments if you would like to try your hand at using this phrasal verb in English.