Question
Updated on
8 February
- Japanese
-
English (US)
-
English (UK)
Question about English (US)
Be careful not to ~.
Be careful to avoid ~.
Which sounds more natural to you?
Be careful not to ~.
Be careful to avoid ~.
Which sounds more natural to you?
Be careful to avoid ~.
Which sounds more natural to you?
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- English (US)
Both sound natural. "Avoid" sounds like a stronger caution, like if the person is otherwise likely to do what you're cautioning them against.
Highly-rated answerer
- English (US)
- English (UK)
If you want to avoid doing an action, I would say the first one is better.
"Be careful not to fall" sounds more natural than " Be careful to avoid falling", for example.
Highly-rated answerer
- Polish
The second form sounds unnatural to me. If you are "careful" then you usually "avoid" (some things or doing something). You do not need to say, "Be careful to avoid..." Simply: "avoid traffic", "avoid making people confused"...
- Japanese
- English (US)
@marian333 I've heard the second form quite a bit, as an aircraft mechanic. It's one thing to tell someone to avoid something; it's another to urge them to exercise caution in doing so.
"Avoid doing X." Well, obviously, I don't plan on doing X, so I'm not going to consider this as much.
"Be careful to avoid doing X." Now you're telling me to be careful so I don't do X. It's more readily received as a command.
Highly-rated answerer
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