- Do you feel unsure whether to say “encourage for” or “encourage to”?
- Are you looking for more professional ways to motivate your team beyond just saying “good job”?
- Do you want to know which adverbs make your English sound more like a native speaker’s?
Mastering Encourage collocations is a vital step for any English learner aiming for professional fluency. Collocations are words that naturally “live together”; using them correctly reduces your “Language Anxiety” because you no longer have to build every sentence from scratch. Instead, you use pre-set blocks of language that native speakers instantly recognize as correct and natural.
Common Collocations with Encourage as a Verb
In modern English, “encourage” functions exclusively as a verb. Its goal is to provide support, confidence, or hope to someone, or to stimulate a specific activity. Here is how it naturally pairs with other words.
Adverbs of Degree and Intensity
These adverbs describe how much support or stimulation is being given. In a business or academic setting, these are highly effective for showing emphasis.
- Strongly encourage: I strongly encourage you to review the contract before signing.
- Actively encourage: The company actively encourages diversity in the workplace.
- Greatly encourage: We were greatly encouraged by the positive feedback from our users.
- Warmly encourage: I warmly encourage everyone to join the celebration tonight.
Encourage + Noun (Common Objects)
In this pattern, “encourage” is followed directly by a noun representing an abstract concept, economic trend, or behavior.
- Encourage growth: Lower interest rates are designed to encourage economic growth.
- Encourage participation: The teacher used games to encourage student participation.
- Encourage investment: New tax laws were passed to encourage foreign investment.
- Encourage development: Proper nutrition is essential to encourage healthy development in children.
The “Encourage Someone to Do” Pattern
This is the most common grammatical structure for this word. It involves a person (the object) and an action (the infinitive).
- Encourage someone to try: My coach encouraged me to try out for the varsity team.
- Encourage someone to pursue: You should encourage her to pursue her dream of becoming a pilot.
- Encourage someone to continue: The success of the first book encouraged him to continue writing.
The Master Summary Table
| Collocation | Part of Speech | Quick Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Strongly encourage | Adverb + Verb | To give very firm and serious advice or support. |
| Encourage participation | Verb + Noun | To make people want to take part in an activity. |
| Encourage growth | Verb + Noun | To help something increase or develop. |
| Encourage someone to [do] | Verb + Object + Infinitive | To suggest or inspire someone to take an action. |
| Actively encourage | Adverb + Verb | To take physical or visible steps to promote something. |
Common Mistakes: Natural vs Unnatural
Many learners struggle with the prepositional logic of “encourage.” Because “encourage” is a “transitive verb,” it usually requires an object or a specific infinitive structure.
| Do Not Say | Say This |
|---|---|
| I encourage you for going to the gym. | I encourage you to go to the gym. |
| He gave me an encourage. | He gave me some encouragement. (Use the noun form) |
| The boss very encouraged us. | The boss greatly encouraged us. |
| I encourage that you study hard. | I encourage you to study hard. |
“When I first started my startup, my mentor strongly encouraged me to focus on a niche market. She didn’t just offer words; she actively encouraged our team by introducing us to investors. This support helped encourage growth during our first year, and it eventually encouraged me to stay in the industry even when things got difficult.”
Frequently Asked Questions about Encourage Collocations
Is it correct to say “encourage in”?
Yes, but it is less common than the infinitive “to.” You can say “I encourage you in your efforts,” where “in” precedes a noun or a process. However, for actions, always use “encourage to [do].”
What is the difference between encourage and motivate?
“Encourage” usually implies giving support or confidence to someone who might be hesitant. “Motivate” implies providing a reason or an incentive for someone to act. You encourage a scared child; you motivate a sales team with a bonus.
Can “encourage” be used in the passive voice?
Absolutely. It is very common in formal English to say, “Students are encouraged to arrive early,” or “We were encouraged by the news.” This shifts the focus from the person giving support to the person receiving it.
Can I use “encourage” with an -ing verb (gerund)?
Generally, no. We do not say “I encourage going.” Instead, we say “I encourage you to go” or “I encourage the act of going.” Using the infinitive is the standard modern usage for this verb.
What is the opposite collocation of “strongly encourage”?
The natural opposite is “strongly discourage.” While “encourage” pushes someone toward an action, “discourage” suggests they should not do it.
The article mentions going beyond 'good job' for motivation. This article itself is a 'good job' and much more! Very encouraging!
Haha, thank you, Isabella! We appreciate the playful compliment! We strive to make our content as helpful and encouraging as possible for all our learners. Your positive feedback 'greatly encourages' us to create more!
I've been learning English for years, and collocations are still my weak spot. This article makes it very clear and practical. Thank you for this valuable lesson!
You're very welcome, Jin! Collocations are indeed one of the more advanced yet crucial areas of English fluency. We're delighted that our article has made this complex topic feel more accessible and practical for you. Consistency is key, and you're well on your way!
What about using 'encourage' with 'by' to show the method? For example, 'We encouraged learning by offering rewards.' Is that a common collocation?
Excellent example, Sofia! Yes, 'encourage [something] by [doing something]' is a very common and natural collocation. It's used to specify the *means* or *method* by which the encouragement is given. Your example, 'We encouraged learning by offering rewards,' is perfectly constructed and idiomatic. Well done!
This is a great resource. As a non-native speaker, I often second-guess my adverb choices. Knowing these specific collocations like 'strongly encourage' helps me feel more confident in business communications.
That's wonderful to hear, David! Confidence in communication is key, and using natural collocations is a huge step toward achieving it. We aim to provide those exact tools to help you sound more natural and professional. Keep practicing, and your confidence will soar!
The point about 'encourage' functioning exclusively as a verb is interesting. I sometimes hear 'encouragement' as a noun. Are they related, or completely different functions?
Great question, Aisha! Yes, 'encouragement' (the noun) and 'encourage' (the verb) are absolutely related. 'Encouragement' is simply the act or state of encouraging, or something that encourages. So, while 'encourage' itself is only a verb, you can certainly *give* or *receive* 'encouragement' (the noun). The article highlights that when you *use* the word 'encourage,' it will always be functioning as a verb in a sentence. Keep asking these thoughtful questions!
My native language, Italian, often uses different prepositions, so matching them in English is a consistent challenge. The 'encourage to' rule is very helpful to remember. Grazie!
Prepositions can certainly be one of the trickiest aspects of learning a new language, Giovanni! We're glad our explanation of 'encourage to' helps simplify it for you. Comparing structures with your native language is a fantastic learning strategy. Prego!
Is 'greatly encourage' as common as 'strongly encourage'? I feel like I hear 'strongly' more often.
That's a perceptive observation, Priya! While both are correct and widely used, 'strongly encourage' might indeed have a slight edge in frequency, especially in formal or direct advice contexts (e.g., 'I strongly encourage you to apply'). 'Greatly encouraged by' is very common in the passive voice, conveying significant positive impact. Both are excellent choices for emphasizing your message!
This article really highlights why collocations are so important. I always felt like my English was technically correct but didn't 'sound' right. Now I know why! It's these natural pairings. More articles like this, please!
We're delighted to hear that, Chloe! That feeling of 'technically correct but not quite right' is exactly what learning collocations helps to overcome. They bridge the gap between grammatical correctness and native-like fluency. We'll certainly keep bringing you more content on this vital topic!
I sometimes mix up 'encourage' with 'inspire.' Could you explain the subtle difference, especially when talking about motivating a team?
That's a great distinction to explore, Omar! 'Encourage' often implies providing support, confidence, or a reason to continue or start an action. It's about giving impetus. 'Inspire,' on the other hand, suggests filling someone with the urge or ability to do something creative or particularly great, often touching on emotions or ideals. While both motivate, 'inspire' often has a stronger, more profound emotional or creative connotation. You can 'encourage' someone to finish a task, but you might 'inspire' them to pursue a dream. Both are valuable for team motivation!
Before reading this, I would have probably said 'We give encouragement for diversity.' The difference between a verb and a noun usage is very clear now. Thanks!
You've hit on a crucial point, Maria! Understanding the different forms (verb 'encourage' vs. noun 'encouragement') and their typical collocations is key to fluent and natural English. 'Give encouragement' is perfectly correct for the noun, but the article focuses on the verb 'encourage' and its direct action. Well observed!