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Difference between warning and threatening ?

Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 6:20 am
by JaneEyre
Hi everybody,


Could someone please tell me the difference between ( warning) and (threatening)?

for examlple why when a professor says ( Better to prepare well or i'll give a pop-quiz.) is a warning, not a threatening !!!!.

Please anybody knows help me.

thanks

Re: Difference between warning and threatening

Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 8:15 am
by JaneEyre
hello,

please somebody answer, i have a test in discourse tommorow, so i desperately need to understand the difference in order to be able to the identify speech acts correctly in th exam.

Re: Difference between warning and threatening ?

Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 9:11 pm
by Hyacinth
hi

i'm english learner too
but i will help you as i could

warning: is like an attention to something or somebody that may cause risk or harm. it's like giving an advice in advance.

threating: is a clear and direct intent or risk that causes harm.

i think the professor was warning and not threating, because he advised you to prepare well to avoid having a quiz, while if he was threating, it means that whatever you do and prepare, he is going to give you a quiz.

Re: Difference between warning and threatening ?

Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2010 9:10 am
by Benjipie
An example of a warning could be: "I'm warning you, don't do that again "

An example of a threat could be: "I'm telling you, I'm going to hit you if you do that again".

A threat is kind of like the next step in a warning. It's a more serious warning, showing the consequences that will happen.

Ben.

Re: Difference between warning and threatening ?

Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 4:45 pm
by alawton
His mother warns him to not talk back. She threatens to spank him if he does.