Advice vs Advise

Submitted by ub on

Here is one for spell check or AI to answer. The phrase is to ask, or request. Which is the etiquette word and please tell it like it is. 

Etiquette is mandatory in language, whether in writing or in spoken form. Etiquette means observing every convectional requirement for polite behavior among associates of the same profession or members of the same group. 

Advise means offering recommendations to someone on the best measures they can take about something.

Therefore, please advise is a formal way of asking for answers or information, especially associated with professional interactions. Please advise is commonly used in letters, Telegrams, and emails.

Human beings perceive being polite as appropriate and important especially when it comes to communication. Being polite when asking for advice compels the person being asked to respond politely and give the best possible advice.

There are different takes. For instance, some English specialists mention that since the advice is a transitional verb an object should follow. Therefore, you should say ” please advise me ” or “Please advise her”  instead of just leaving it at ‘please advise”. Thus, it is termed to be incomplete.

Other sources state the phrase’s meaning depends on the context.  For some, the phrase might come out as negative, impolite, or a forceful way of asking for advice.

Please advise is also considered passive-aggressive when it comes out as an indirect resistance or a way of avoiding direct confrontation with the situation. The meaning of please advise to some people is that the requesting person has “washed their hands and they are dumping all the responsibility of the matter on your hands”

Using please advise is considered old, stale, and too quick of a way to get advice. Depending on the context, please advise can either be rude or polite. We note that in writing this is determined by the tone of the message too.

That said, please advise is grammatically correct and has been used since the late 17th century in an official context. Please advise became popular in the 19th century because of the popularity of telegram services to pass on information. Since every word was charged, it was used to reduce the number of words and got carried on to official writing and emails.

Most people want advice when they are in a fix or when they need an opinion about something. Please advise is an acceptable way of asking for opinions, extra information, or insight about something in an email.

According to one of the professional assignment help services, most people want advice when they are in a fix or when they need an opinion about something.

Let us examine the following emails:

Dear madam

I was hoping we could go over the remaining work on the project. I think you had the last touches before we went on break, so I would kindly appreciate some knowledge on how the program works.

Please advise.

Dear sir

I know it is a hard time and you are already overwhelmed with your own studies, I was hoping to get your word on whether you will be available for the convention so I can book a reservation for you by Tuesday.

Please advise.

In the first email, you can feel the passive-aggressive tone. What’s more, even the use of please advise doesn’t do any good to the email.  In the second one, Caroline acknowledges that she is busy and might be causing a delay but still seems polite. This shows it can be either polite or impolite to use please advise in an email, depending on the context.

We can use other phrases like:

Would you kindly let me know

Can you give me your thoughts or answer on

Any recommendation will be highly appreciated.

among many others.

What is another way to say please be advised? Most people will say,  ” please be advised ” followed by a sentence or paragraph passing on advice about a particular matter or question. This is a phrase used when you are about to pass on some information.

Example:

Please be advised that all students will receive an invitation via email

Most people don’t like using the phrase please be advised because it seems rude. Here are some other phrases that can be used in place of please be advised:

Kindly note.

Example: Kindly note that even a single mistake in the answer can get you penalized.

Please note.

Example: Please note that you may get your account suspended.

Please be informed.

Example: Please be informed that the lab, just like the field, is out of bounds.

Please be aware.

Example: Please be aware of the pending question.

Please take note.

Example: Please take note of the first question, it bares the highest score.

These are only a few alternatives that may be appropriate in place of please be advised.

Maybe one of the most common questions, when you get to writing letters or emails, do you use please advice or please advise? Learners make the mistake of using advise meaning advice. Please advise is used because advice is a noun which is the recommendation given to someone about what to do. We use advise because it is a verb.

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