In regards to ようとしない, I found this explanation: "This structure cannot be used
to describe the speaker's current lack of intention." Am I correct in thinking
the sentence 私は最近本を読もうとしない doesn’t work, while the following sentences work,
because 猫 and ルームメイト are not the speaker of the sentence？

> うちの猫が大好きな魚を食べようとしない。

> ルームメイトがゴミをゴミ捨て場に持って行こうとしない。
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2022-06-01T22:05:03.307
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2022-06-08T23:26:27.430
2022-06-08T23:26:27.430
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question
grammar
ようとしない cannot be used to describe the speaker’s current lack of intention
Basically you are correct. 私は最近本を読もうとしない is odd, and the other two are fine.

Note that the past tense is fine for 1st person: 私は自分で解決しようとしなかった = I didn't
try to resolve it by myself.

* * *

But using 私は..ようとしない is not entirely impossible. For example,

  * 彼が目の前で苦しんでいる。私は助けようとしない.

is possible as a sentence describing, say, what happened in a dream where 'I'
do(es) not help 'him', from the external viewpoint. As such, it is not an
exception to the rule.
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2022-06-01T22:38:00.850
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2022-06-01T22:38:00.850
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answer