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It is based on the meaning and frequency of the idioms that one should care about, not the wordy interpretation because that is subjective and in some cases does not help one to have the true answer.
Back to the word "aim", in Manhattan Sentence Correction, 4th edition, page 143, we have:
- RIGHT: We adopted new procedures AIMED AT REDUCING/ WITH THE AIM OF REDUCING theft.
- WRONG: We adopted new policies WITH THE AIM TO REDUCE theft.
For difference in meaning between "aim at" and "aim to", Chetan clarifies well enough. I would like to clarify more about the ACTIVE AND PASSIVE voice of these words, which, IMO, are the crucial points here.
The following examples are accumulated from Cambridge dictionary (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/aim) and Oxford dictionary (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/aim)
I. Aim to = Intend to
- Note: "Aim to" is an intransitive verb, which does NOT take a direct object. Thus, we say: "SB/STH aims to + Inf"
Ex: a) I aim to be a millionaire by the time I'm 35.
b) They are aiming to reduce unemployment by 50%.
- Or we can understand that "Aim to" CANNOT be used in PASSIVE VOICE. Therefore, any sentence that reduces "aim to" in the form of past participle is WRONG because with the active form, when reduced, it should be "aiming to", not "aimed to"
Ex: a) I aimed to be a teacher when I was a boy. (RIGHT: "aimed to" is in simple past tense, active form).
b) The project, aimed to reduce the unemployment rate, is a failure
+ WRONG: "aimed to" is a past participle in reduced form.
+ The original for this wrong sentence is: The project, which is aimed to reduce the unemployment rate, is a failure.
+ "Which is aimed to" is WRONG because "aim to", with the meaning of "intend to", is an intransitive verb, CANNOT be in passive voice.
+ The right sentence HAS TO BE: The project, aiming to reduce the unemployment rate, is a failure ( = The project, which aims to reduce the unemployment rate, is a failure)
II. Aim at:
1) Aim (sth) at (sb/sth): point or direct sth towards. We do not care much about this meaning.
2) Aim at STH: to plan, hope, or intend to achieve sth; have the intention of achieving sth (STH here is a noun, noun phrase, V-ing). In this aspect, "aim at" is both transitive and intransitive verb.
Ex: a) The talks are aiming at a compromise. (The talks themselves intend to achieve the compromise, active voice, or we have: "sb/sth aim at sth"
b) The government's campaign is aimed at influencing public opinion. (The government aims the campaign at influencing public opinion. "Aim at" here is passive voice, or we have: "sb aim sth at sth").
+ With such understanding, the reduced form of "a" is:
. EITHER: The talks, aiming at a compromise, are successful (present participle for reduced form)
. OR: The talks, aimed at influencing public opinion, are successful (past participle for reduced form).
Thus, "aim at" is more diverse than "aim to", and not so much different in meaning from that of "aim to". The active and passive voice itself is crucially important. Briefly,
- When you see "aim to", remember that it CANNOT be used in passive voice. Thus, any attempt to reduce it to past participle form is WRONG.
- When you see "aim at", remember that "aim at" + STH (again, STH may be noun, noun phrase or even V-ing). Thus, the wrongness of the sentence will lie in the parallelism.
- Again, difference in meaning between "aim at" and "aim to", in my own opinion, is not so great that it is the reason why the sentence is wrong. Therefore, focus on active and passive form!
III. Other examples:
1) Aim at:
- First meaning: point or direct sth towards; to say or do something that is intended to influence or affect a particular person or group
+ I was aiming at the tree but hit the car by mistake
+ My criticism wasn't aimed at you.
- Second meaning: to try or plan to achieve something; to have something as an aim
+ [aim sth at sth] (Transitive verb, a valid past participle form):
. There are hundreds of nuclear missiles aimed at the main cities.
+ [aim sth at sth] (Transitive verb, in an active form):
. She aimed (= directed) a kick at my shins.
. A valid passive form is: A kick is aimed at my shins
+ [aim sth at sth] (Transitive verb, a valid passive form):
. These measures are aimed at preventing violent crime.
+ [sb/sth aim at sth] (Intransitive verb, in an active form. Passive form in this case is not allowed)
. The government is aiming at a 50% reduction in unemployment.
+ [sb/sth aim at V-ing] (Intransitive verb, in an active form. Passive form in this case is not allowed)
. They're aiming at training everybody by the end of the year.
=> FINAL STRUCTURE: [sb/sth] aim [sth] at [sb/sth/V-ing]
2) Aim to: meaning: to try or plan to achieve something
+ [sb aim to do sth] (Intransitive verb, in an active form. NO passive form is allowed in any case)
. They are aiming to reduce unemployment by 50%.
+ [sth aim to do sth] [(Intransitive verb, in an active form. NO passive form is allowed in any case)
. The course aims to educate children to cope with dangerous situations.
=> FINAL STRUCTURE: [sb/sth] aim to do sth
3) Others:
+ She went to London with the aim of finding a job.
+ Our main aim is to increase sales in Europe.
+ We should aim for a bigger share of the market.
Hope from now on, we are confident with "aim at" and "aim to".
Sincerely,
Back to the word "aim", in Manhattan Sentence Correction, 4th edition, page 143, we have:
- RIGHT: We adopted new procedures AIMED AT REDUCING/ WITH THE AIM OF REDUCING theft.
- WRONG: We adopted new policies WITH THE AIM TO REDUCE theft.
For difference in meaning between "aim at" and "aim to", Chetan clarifies well enough. I would like to clarify more about the ACTIVE AND PASSIVE voice of these words, which, IMO, are the crucial points here.
The following examples are accumulated from Cambridge dictionary (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/aim) and Oxford dictionary (https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/aim)
I. Aim to = Intend to
- Note: "Aim to" is an intransitive verb, which does NOT take a direct object. Thus, we say: "SB/STH aims to + Inf"
Ex: a) I aim to be a millionaire by the time I'm 35.
b) They are aiming to reduce unemployment by 50%.
- Or we can understand that "Aim to" CANNOT be used in PASSIVE VOICE. Therefore, any sentence that reduces "aim to" in the form of past participle is WRONG because with the active form, when reduced, it should be "aiming to", not "aimed to"
Ex: a) I aimed to be a teacher when I was a boy. (RIGHT: "aimed to" is in simple past tense, active form).
b) The project, aimed to reduce the unemployment rate, is a failure
+ WRONG: "aimed to" is a past participle in reduced form.
+ The original for this wrong sentence is: The project, which is aimed to reduce the unemployment rate, is a failure.
+ "Which is aimed to" is WRONG because "aim to", with the meaning of "intend to", is an intransitive verb, CANNOT be in passive voice.
+ The right sentence HAS TO BE: The project, aiming to reduce the unemployment rate, is a failure ( = The project, which aims to reduce the unemployment rate, is a failure)
II. Aim at:
1) Aim (sth) at (sb/sth): point or direct sth towards. We do not care much about this meaning.
2) Aim at STH: to plan, hope, or intend to achieve sth; have the intention of achieving sth (STH here is a noun, noun phrase, V-ing). In this aspect, "aim at" is both transitive and intransitive verb.
Ex: a) The talks are aiming at a compromise. (The talks themselves intend to achieve the compromise, active voice, or we have: "sb/sth aim at sth"
b) The government's campaign is aimed at influencing public opinion. (The government aims the campaign at influencing public opinion. "Aim at" here is passive voice, or we have: "sb aim sth at sth").
+ With such understanding, the reduced form of "a" is:
. EITHER: The talks, aiming at a compromise, are successful (present participle for reduced form)
. OR: The talks, aimed at influencing public opinion, are successful (past participle for reduced form).
Thus, "aim at" is more diverse than "aim to", and not so much different in meaning from that of "aim to". The active and passive voice itself is crucially important. Briefly,
- When you see "aim to", remember that it CANNOT be used in passive voice. Thus, any attempt to reduce it to past participle form is WRONG.
- When you see "aim at", remember that "aim at" + STH (again, STH may be noun, noun phrase or even V-ing). Thus, the wrongness of the sentence will lie in the parallelism.
- Again, difference in meaning between "aim at" and "aim to", in my own opinion, is not so great that it is the reason why the sentence is wrong. Therefore, focus on active and passive form!
III. Other examples:
1) Aim at:
- First meaning: point or direct sth towards; to say or do something that is intended to influence or affect a particular person or group
+ I was aiming at the tree but hit the car by mistake
+ My criticism wasn't aimed at you.
- Second meaning: to try or plan to achieve something; to have something as an aim
+ [aim sth at sth] (Transitive verb, a valid past participle form):
. There are hundreds of nuclear missiles aimed at the main cities.
+ [aim sth at sth] (Transitive verb, in an active form):
. She aimed (= directed) a kick at my shins.
. A valid passive form is: A kick is aimed at my shins
+ [aim sth at sth] (Transitive verb, a valid passive form):
. These measures are aimed at preventing violent crime.
+ [sb/sth aim at sth] (Intransitive verb, in an active form. Passive form in this case is not allowed)
. The government is aiming at a 50% reduction in unemployment.
+ [sb/sth aim at V-ing] (Intransitive verb, in an active form. Passive form in this case is not allowed)
. They're aiming at training everybody by the end of the year.
=> FINAL STRUCTURE: [sb/sth] aim [sth] at [sb/sth/V-ing]
2) Aim to: meaning: to try or plan to achieve something
+ [sb aim to do sth] (Intransitive verb, in an active form. NO passive form is allowed in any case)
. They are aiming to reduce unemployment by 50%.
+ [sth aim to do sth] [(Intransitive verb, in an active form. NO passive form is allowed in any case)
. The course aims to educate children to cope with dangerous situations.
=> FINAL STRUCTURE: [sb/sth] aim to do sth
3) Others:
+ She went to London with the aim of finding a job.
+ Our main aim is to increase sales in Europe.
+ We should aim for a bigger share of the market.
Hope from now on, we are confident with "aim at" and "aim to".
Sincerely,
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