Confused Words: Convince vs. Persuade

Confused Words - Convince - Persuade

Hello, my eager English learners! Today we’re going to tackle two words that often confuse language beginners: “convince” and “persuade“. While they may seem similar, there’s a little difference that makes each word unique in its usage.

Convince

“Convince” (IPA: /kənˈvɪns/) is a verb that means to cause someone to believe firmly in the truth of something.

Examples:

  1. I convinced him that I was telling the truth. (I made him firmly believe that I was telling the truth)
  2. She convinced her parents to let her go to the concert. (She made her parents firmly believe it was okay for her to go to the concert)
  3. The salesman convinced me to buy the car. (The salesman made me firmly believe that buying the car was a good decision)
  4. The evidence convinced the jury of his guilt. (The evidence made the jury firmly believe in his guilt)
  5. He convinced us of his innocence. (He made us firmly believe in his innocence)
  6. I finally convinced myself to start exercising. (I finally made myself firmly believe in the importance of starting to exercise)
  7. She was convinced of the benefits of the new system. (She firmly believed in the benefits of the new system)
  8. The movie convinced him to become a vegan. (The movie made him firmly believe in becoming a vegan)
  9. They convinced her to donate to the charity. (They made her firmly believe in donating to the charity)
  10. I’m not easily convinced by such promises. (I don’t firmly believe such promises easily)

Persuade

“Persuade” (IPA: /pərˈsweɪd/) is a verb that means to cause someone to do something through reasoning or argument.

Examples:

  1. He persuaded me to go to the party. (He caused me to go to the party through reasoning or argument)
  2. She was persuaded to join the club. (She was caused to join the club through reasoning or argument)
  3. The advert persuaded us to buy the product. (The advert caused us to buy the product through reasoning or argument)
  4. The teacher persuaded him to study harder. (The teacher caused him to study harder through reasoning or argument)
  5. He persuaded her to take a vacation. (He caused her to take a vacation through reasoning or argument)
  6. They persuaded him to invest in the company. (They caused him to invest in the company through reasoning or argument)
  7. I was persuaded by his argument. (His argument caused me to change my stance)
  8. She persuaded her friend to try the new restaurant. (She caused her friend to try the new restaurant through reasoning or argument)
  9. The speech persuaded us to take action. (The speech caused us to take action through reasoning or argument)
  10. They persuaded me to donate to their cause. (They caused me to donate to their cause through reasoning or argument)

Conclusion

So, the major difference between “convince” and “persuade” is that when you convince someone, you make them believe in something, while when you persuade someone, you cause them to do something. It’s a subtle yet important difference to understand.

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