这里引用《牛津英语用法指南》上的解说，希望对你有所帮助：

我们用 try + -ing来谈论某种尝试 —— 做某事是为了看看结果会怎样。

I tried sending her flowers, writing her letters, giving her presents, but she still wouldn't speak to me. 我试着给她送花、写信、送礼物，但她依然不肯跟我说话。

谈论努力做某件困难的事，我们既可以用 try + 动词不定式，也可以用 try + -ing。

I tried to change the wheel, but my hands were too cold. (或 I tried changing the wheel...) 我试图换轮子，但双手太冷了。