persuade about

USAGE SUMMARY

"persuade about" is not correct and usable in written English.
To use the verb "persuade" correctly, it must be followed by the preposition "to" or "into". For example, "She was trying to persuade him to go to the movie."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

Cindy Hewitt, a human resources manager, had been instructed to persuade about a dozen of Mr. Rosado's co-workers to move to Miami, where Dade had another plant.

The New York Times

The project managed to persuade about a third of all companies on the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index with staggered boards to eliminate the provision.

The New York Times

Mr. Grais was back at the Core Club last month,this time behind a lectern, trying to persuade about 100 investors in depressed mortgage-backed securities to fight the banks that issued them.

The New York Times

In an effort to lower radiation and persuade about 155,000 people to return home, the government is trying to decontaminate a large area by scraping away millions of tons of radioactive dirt and storing it in temporary dumps.

The New York Times

At the same time, the Obama administration is expected to try to persuade about five million more people to sign up while also trying to ensure that eight million people who now have coverage renew for another year.

The New York Times

Every other art can instruct or persuade about its own particular subject-matter; for instance, medicine about what is healthy and unhealthy, geometry about the properties of magnitudes, arithmetic about numbers, and the same is true of the other arts and sciences.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

Ann and Rod were not persuaded about even this controlled coming out.

The New York Times - Sports

Astrologers and their many loyal followers are not persuaded about that.

The New York Times - Style

"I don't think the American public needs a lot of persuading about the evil that is Saddam Hussein," he said.

The New Yorker

Mr. Sanjuan visited more than 90 restaurants and drive-ins along the highway, and persuaded about half to serve blacks.

The New York Times

He persuaded about 40 local merchants to honor them, promising to redeem each simec for two lire.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "persuade to" or "persuade into" when you want to express that you are convincing someone. Example: "She was trying to persuade him to go to the movie".

Common error

Avoid using "about" after "persuade". The correct prepositions are "to" (followed by an infinitive verb) or "into" (followed by a noun or gerund). Incorrect: "I persuaded him about the importance of education". Correct: "I persuaded him to consider the importance of education" or "I persuaded him into considering the importance of education".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "persuade about" is typically intended to function as a verb phrase where the verb 'persuade' aims to express convincing someone concerning a particular matter. However, according to Ludwig AI, this construction is grammatically incorrect.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Academia

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "persuade about" appears in various sources, it's considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. Ludwig AI indicates that "persuade" should be followed by "to" or "into" instead. Although found across diverse contexts, including news and academic writing, it's best to adhere to correct grammatical structures for clarity and credibility. Consider using alternative phrases like "convince regarding" to ensure proper usage and avoid potential misinterpretations.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

convince regarding

Uses 'convince' instead of 'persuade' and 'regarding' to address the topic of persuasion.

sway concerning

Employs 'sway' implying influence and 'concerning' to denote the subject matter.

influence regarding

Replace "persuade" with "influence" and "about" with "regarding" to indicate impact on a particular subject.

bring around to the idea of

Replaces "persuade" with a phrasal verb, focusing on changing someone's mind about a concept.

get someone on board with

Uses a more informal expression to describe convincing someone to support an idea.

win over to the concept of

Focuses on gaining someone's approval or agreement regarding a specific concept.

sell on the notion of

Implies convincing someone through strong advocacy for a particular idea.

talk into

Uses a shorter, more direct way of saying persuade.

motivate concerning

Change the verb to indicate encouragement and use the preposition "concerning" to talk about the object.

encourage with respect to

This phrase opts for a gentler, more supportive tone while addressing a specific topic.

FAQs

How to correctly use "persuade" in a sentence?

The verb "persuade" should be followed by "to" and an infinitive verb, or "into" and a noun or gerund. For example, "I persuaded her to attend the meeting" or "I persuaded him into donating to the charity" are correct. Avoid using "persuade about".

What prepositions can follow "persuade"?

The correct prepositions to use after "persuade" are "to" (followed by a verb) or "into" (followed by a noun or gerund). Avoid using prepositions like "of", "on", or "about" after "persuade".

Is it grammatically correct to say "persuade about"?

No, it is grammatically incorrect to use "persuade about". The correct constructions are "persuade to" or "persuade into". Consider alternatives like "convince regarding" depending on your intended meaning.

What are some alternatives to "persuade" that I can use?

Depending on the context, you can use synonyms like "convince", "influence", "sway", or "encourage". For example, instead of saying "I want to persuade him", you could say "I want to "convince him"".