Hi! Wouldn't the verb "encourage" also work in the following sentence? Why "convince" is better? Is this something about educational distinction? I feel "encourage" closer to the teacher role. 🥺🥺

"The teachers tried to __convince___ these students that they could solve the complicated problem, however, they just didn't see the point."

Question

Hi! Wouldn't the verb "encourage" also work in the following sentence? Why "convince" is better? Is this something about educational distinction? I feel "encourage" closer to the teacher role. 🥺🥺

"The teachers tried to __convince___ these students that they could solve the complicated problem, however, they just didn't see the point."

Answer

Encourage must be followed by to + infinitive so it is impossible here. You can't encourage someone that ... .

Answer

It’s because convince is more like “make them believe”. Encourage doesn’t really go with “tried to”. To encourage is down to the person doing the encouraging. You are either encouraging them or you aren’t.

Answer

Looking at the Latin roots can help you understand the difference between these two words.

"Convince" comes from a Latin word, "vincere", that means to win or conquer.  Convincing somebody of something is a kind of victory.  For example, "Billy tried and tried to convince Sally to go to the play with him.  She resisted, but he finally convinced her by telling her how good the theatre was.

"Encourage" comes to us from Latin through French.  It simply means to put courage into somebody.  Giving somebody courage is very different from convincing them (though it can play a role in convincing them).  If you encourage someone, it is a sort of gift, not a victory.  For example, suppose Billy is afraid to learn how to swim.  He is scared of being in the water.  He fears that he might not float.  His parents try to give him courage.  They tell him how much fun it will be.  They tell him how they once had the same fears but overcame them.  It is never a fight to make him swim.  It is, rather, an effort to make him *want* to swim and be willing to try.

In your educational example, both words work.  I would argue that a more effective teacher is one who *encourages* her students to solve complicated problems rather than convince them to do it.  Giving them courage is psychologically far more powerful than achieving victories over them.