Admonish

Question

I didn't know until now that there are 2 almost conflicting meanings for the word "admonish". According to the Cambridge Online Dictionary it means:

1) to tell someone that they have done something wrong: His mother admonished him for eating too quickly.

2) to advise someone to do something:
Her teacher admonished her to work harder for her exams.

So when do I read it to mean one way and not the other. For instant:

He admonishes her for going.

What would that have meant? Does the preposition ("for" vs. "to") come to determine what is what?

Thanks in advance

Raen

Edit: Corrected misspelling in subject line. CJ

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Raen Does the preposition ("for" vs. "to") come to determine what is what?

Yes. This is the key to the difference. (Not that difficult after all, is it?

)

By the way, "to" isn't a preposition; it's part of an infinitive.

CJ

Raen · Answer

Thanks so much Jim, and I laughed out loud at your correction to my post.....whole-heartedly.

yes, you're right, "to" here is part of an infinitive. But how about this (just for the fun of it), when there's no "for" or "to" for reference.

"Experts adnomish that children under the age of 10 take showers more than 3 times a week."

So are the experts advising it or not? Thanks.

Raen

CalifJim · Answer

Do you think the experts believe the showers would be healthful? (advice)
Or do you think the experts believe the showers could be dangerous? (warning)
I don't have the full context before me, but I'm guessing it's advice.

adnomish?

-- although you may be talking about a different verb of your own invention!

CJ

Raen · Answer

So it would all depends on the context.....dang! I'm one of those who would only read the key chapter if they don't have to read the whole book, and only the key paragraph if they don't have to read the whole chapter, and the key sentence........just kidding. I made the sentence up, so it could mean both ways then if there's no notion attached to it. That's interesting.

As for "adnomish", haha, it's just another typo, it's a never ending curse of mine...unfortunately. Had you not pointed it out and corrected, and I would never have noticed. Some people have given up on me long ago. Bu thank you very much.

Raen

Avangi · Answer

Raen "Experts adnomish that children under the age of 10 take showers more than 3 times a week." So are the experts advising it or not?

I don't think the two different meanings of the word have anything to do with whether the experts are pro or con. You can advise that they do and advise that they don't. I don't see the difference between advising that they don't and warning that they don't - or advising that they do and warning that they do. A warning is not necessarily a prohibition, and an advisory is not necessarily a request to perform..

How can a positive statement possibly be taken as a request not to do something?

I think your sentence is clearly advising to take more than three showers per week.

I think the opposite advice would be worded "Experts admonish that children under the age of 10 not take showers more than three times a week."

I think "warning" vs. "advisory" is just a matter of degree, not a matter of negative vs. positive.

The authorities admonished residents that trash cans must be removed from the street as soon as their contents have been picked up.

The authorities admonished residents to remove their trash cans from the street as soon as their contents have been picked up.

Edit. Okay, I get it. What's missing at the end is the "scolding" aspect of it - the "for" vs. the "to."

They admonished us to remove our trash cans. (warning / advisory)
They admonished us for not removing our trash cans. (scolding)

They admonished us not to water our lawns for more than a half hour per day. (warning / advisory)
They admonished us for watering our lawns for more than a half hour per day. (scolding)

What was bothering me was "So are the experts advising it or not?"

Raen · Answer

AvangiWhat was bothering me was "So are the experts advising it or not?"

Lol, Avangi. I can certainly feel the frustration thru the statement, "What is Raen babbling about?!"

Initially I was thrown off to have learned the 2 seemingly opposing definitions, see below, for "admonish" (note I emphasized "seemingly", that's based on my interpretation of the definitions),

1) to tell someone that they have done something wrong: His mother admonished him for eating too quickly.

2) to advise someone to do something:
Her teacher admonished her to work harder for her exams.

and was frustrated how anyone could understand it correctly in a text, so I made up a sentence to contrast the 2 difinitions above (and remember this is all based on my interpretation):

Experts adnomish that children under the age of 10 take showers more than 3 times a week.

Using definition 1, the sentence would read to me to mean that experts advise against children taking showers more than 3 times a week since "admonish" is defined "to tell someone they have done something wrong", while using definition 2, I would translate it to mean that experts push forth the idea that children take showers more than 3 times a week.

My interpretation is obviously wrong then? Yes? No? (I do beg for patience and sufferage from the teachers

, I am certainly not the brightest head in the bunch.)

Thanks a gazillion in advance

Raen

Avangi · Answer

Hi, Raen,

My problem is that I have not yet seen an example of the sentence about the dirty ten-year-olds to which definition #1 may be applied.
How about this? : Experts admonished parents this week for allowing their children under the age of ten to take more than three showers a week.
There must be scolding!

CJ applauded your "to" vs. "for" destinction, and then you proceeded to cast it aside! For shame!

If the advisory is affirmative, as in the case of your original, then the experts would scold for not doing it.

Experts admonished parents this week for failing to require their children under the age of ten to take at least (or, more than) three showers per week.

CalifJim · Answer

Avangi,

You're right. I failed to notice and draw attention to the "scolding" aspect of "to admonish (someone) for---ing".

CJ

Avangi · Answer

Thanks for the confirmation, CJ.  <img src="http://www.EnglishForward.com/emoticons/emotion-75.gif"/>

Raen · Answer

AvangiCJ applauded your "to" vs. "for" destinction, and then you proceeded to cast it aside! For shame!

I know, shame on me, yike!

If only I had a bigger brain, my life would have been easier. The more I read into something, the more confused I am. When I get caught up on something, it takes more than shaming to pull me out of it, sorry. So could you bear with me for just a few? One more little confirmation and clarification in, let's say, 1-2 paragraphs long and I'll be done. Then you can do all the shaming and scolding a good teacher is entitled to, to which I will gladly and gracefully embrace.

I get now the distinction of using "to" vs. "for" is key to discern what seems to me 2 self-conflicting meanings for the word (it's OK to roll your eyes here). This is how I understand the distinction:

Her father admonished her for going to the hospital to see Tom. (Her father scolded her for going and wished she hadn't gone.)

Her father admonished her to go to the hospital to see Tom. (Her father wanted her to go.)

Then I wanted to find out, without the presence of "to" or "for", if the distinction would still exist with a clause. I've decided now the example I made up was a bad one, there's a pre-conditioned judgement that everybody agrees "children under the age of 10 should take showers more than 3 times a week.", therefore failed to demonstrate my intention. I need a clause that's neutral and unbias to the readers to see what the word "admonish" would mean, so let's try this one:

Her father admonishes that she goes to the hospital to see Tom.

So does her father scold her for going or advise her to go? Or this sentence structure is flawed and false, or basically doesn't exist (I'm thinking this might be the case). Or when used with a clause, "admonish" is merely used to mean "advise", the #2 definition, and not "to tell that it's wrong to", the #1 definition? There, I'm done and awaiting furthur enlightment, if there's still any left for my little brain, that is.

Thanks a ga-trillion in advance

Raen

Admonish

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions