Which English phrase best conveys the idea of making someone decide to take action?

• A. To prompt someone to do something
• B. To persuade someone to do something
• C. To encourage someone to do something
• D. To coerce someone to do something

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is influencing a person’s decision to act. Persuade means to present reasons and appeal to beliefs or values so someone chooses to take action of their own will. It’s about motivating a decision, not just triggering a response, not merely offering support, and not forcing anyone to act. Prompting can be a quick nudge or cue that doesn’t require weighing options. Encouraging provides encouragement and support but doesn’t always imply a shift in the decision itself. Coercing forces action, removing choice. So the best choice for conveying someone deciding to act is persuade, because it centers on shaping the decision through reasoning and appeal.