Discourage Someone From Doing vs. Discourage Someone To Do
Cambridge records the pattern discourage someone from doing something when the meaning is to persuade someone not to do an action. Discourage can also take a noun or pronoun object without naming the action. This guide only distinguishes the direct action-complement pattern.
Use “discourage someone from doing” when you mean try to persuade someone not to take an action. “Discourage someone to do” is not the parallel direct action complement.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| someone is persuaded or made less willing to take an action | discourage someone from doing something | Use from + -ing for the named action. |
| only the person or thing being discouraged is named | discourage + object | No action complement is required when the context already supplies it. |
| a direct positive action complement is proposed | do not use discourage someone to do as the parallel construction | Use the documented from + -ing pattern for the action being discouraged. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Are you naming the action that the person is being discouraged from taking?
If yes: Use “discourage someone from doing …”.
If no: If no action is named, “discourage + object” may be enough; do not substitute a direct “to do” complement for this meaning.
Caveat: Choose by the documented meaning or construction; a different pattern may be valid in a different sentence structure, region, or register.
Examples
The warning discouraged visitors from entering the closed area.
The named action follows “from” in -ing form.
High fees may discourage applicants.
The object can stand without a named action.
The policy discourages staff from sharing passwords.
The direct action-complement pattern is from + -ing.
Further guidance
Boundary
Discourage can also take a noun or pronoun object without naming the action. This guide only distinguishes the direct action-complement pattern.
Construction
Cambridge records the pattern discourage someone from doing something when the meaning is to persuade someone not to do an action.
Decision
Use “discourage someone from doing” when you mean try to persuade someone not to take an action. “Discourage someone to do” is not the parallel direct action complement.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- discourage — Cambridge Learner’s Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Dictionary evidence for discourage someone from doing something