Aim at doing sth / aim to do sth

Question

We always aim to give our clients personal attention.We always aim at giving our clients personal attention.They are aiming to train everybody by the end of the year.They are aiming at training everybody by the end of the year.Do they have the same meaning?

Avangi · Accepted Answer

I've always taken the expression as a bit colloquial, as in the popular slogan "we aim to please."
Aside from the slogan, (meaning, we are determined to please you) I'd really avoid the infinitive form.

The participle form is more in keeping with the true meaning of the word (they are aiming at the target), but, again, I find "They are aiming at training everybody by the end of the year" a bit colloquial, or possibly lower register. Others may disagree.

Edit. Sorry, that didn't come out right! (My example didn't use the participle, or even the gerund, as yours did!)

Let's say, regarding the choice of preposition, "aim to" is appropriate in the popular slogan, but otherwise is colloquial.

"Aim at" is the correct preposition for general use, as in "aim at the target."

I suppose the gerund "training" may be used as object of the verb or object of the preposition, "We aim at training etc.," but to me it's a lower register expression.

Generally speaking, your four examples all work the same way and have the same meaning in regard to "aim," but I wouldn't recommend any of them.

Aim at doing sth / aim to do sth

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