Meaning & use
warning tale
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Meanings
nouncountable
A story that shows the bad results of a certain behavior in order to warn people against it.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a warning tale or warning tales.
Patterns
- a warning tale about something
- a warning tale for someone
- tell a warning tale
The old story is a warning tale about the dangers of greed.
Teachers often use a warning tale to show students what happens when they ignore safety rules.
The film works as a warning tale for anyone who trusts strangers too easily.
nouncountablefigurative
Any real event or situation that people describe as a lesson about what not to do.
Grammar: Often used with act as or serve as before the phrase.
Patterns
- act as a warning tale
- serve as a warning tale for someone
The company's collapse now acts as a warning tale for young investors.
His failed campaign became a warning tale for other politicians.
Word forms
| plural | warning tales |
|---|
Common combinations
- a warning tale about
- She wrote a warning tale about the price of fame.
- serve as a warning tale
- The accident serves as a warning tale for new drivers.
- a classic warning tale
- It is a classic warning tale told to children for generations.
- a modern warning tale
- The novel is a modern warning tale about technology.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cautionary tale
- This is the standard, much more common term for a story that warns; use it in everyday and academic writing instead of "warning tale."
- parable
- A parable is a short story with a moral lesson, often religious; it teaches good behavior rather than specifically warning about danger.
- fable
- A fable is a short animal story with a moral; it is a type of teaching story, not necessarily a warning.
Word family
Commonly confused: warning tale or cautionary tale?
warning tale vs cautionary tale
"Cautionary tale" is the usual fixed phrase in English; "warning tale" sounds like a direct translation and is much rarer. Prefer "cautionary tale" unless you are deliberately creating a new phrase.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase most naturally?
Choose one answer.
"A warning tale about..." is the correct noun phrase pattern. Options 2, 3 and 4 treat "warning tale" as a verb, which it is not; the verb is "warn."
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “warning tale”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.