advise eating / advise to eat

[giddyman]

Hello, teachers.

What's the difference between the two sentences below?

Doctors advise eating a balanced diet.
Doctors advise people to eat a balanced diet.

Sorry. No context.

 

[Tarheel]

I don't see any. Is there one?

 

[tedmc]

No. 1 does not say who the advice is given to but No. 2 does. Do you see any difference in that?

 

[Tarheel]

No. 1 does not say who the advice is given to but No. 2 does. Do you see any difference in that?

I cannot agree. In the first one doctors are giving their advice to people. (Who else would they be advising?) The difference is in the first one it (people) is implied. In the second it's explicit.

 

[tedmc]

I cannot agree. In the first one doctors are giving their advice to people. (Who else would they be advising?) The difference is in the first one it (people) is implied. In the second it's explicit.

That wasn't a statement but a question from me. You've said it - who else would they be advising? So what difference is there between the two sentences?

 

[Tdol]

Making it explicit does change the grammar.

 

[Skrej]

'Advise' is one of those verbs that can be followed by either a gerund, or a noun/pronoun + infinitive. Depending upon the chosen object, the meaning can be the same or different.

Doctors advise eating a balanced diet. (Everyone should eat a balanced diet)
Doctors advise people to eat a balanced diet. (Everyone should eat a balanced diet)
Doctors advise diabetics to eat a balanced diet. (Only diabetics should eat a balanced diet)

In the first two examples, the advice is being giving to the same people - everyone.
In the third example, the advice is targeted towards only one group of people. It suggests that if you're not diabetic, you don't need to balance your diet.

(Which of course, is not factually accurate.)