Have you ever had a difficult situation where you don't know what to do? Do you sometimes need somebody's help to make a decision? Have you ever asked someone you really trust for a piece of advice?
Well, in this material you will learn how to ask for advice and how to give suggestions. We will use expressions like
'I think that you should...' or 'In my opinion you shouldn’t...'
“Should” is a modal verb used to make suggestions / recommendations / or give advice.
People use SHOULD to say: It is a good idea
People use SHOULDN’T or SHOULD NOT to say: It is NOT a good idea.
Imagine your house is on fire….
What is the best advice?
What is a good idea to do?
You should call 911. Experts will help you.
You should leave your house. The smoke can kill you.
What is not a good idea to do?
You shouldn’t use the elevator. You can get trapped inside.
You shouldn’t break the windows. The oxygen will increase the fire.
As you could see in the examples SHOULD and SHOULDN’T are followed by verbs in simple form:
| Subject | Modal verb | Verb in simple form | complement |
|---|---|---|---|
| You | should | call leave |
911. your house. |
| You | shouldn’t | use break |
the elevator. the windows. |
When our family, friends or classmates have a problem, we can give them advice.
give advice
=
make a suggestion
=
make a recommendation
They are all synonyms!!
Look at the following pictures, read the problem and then choose the two best suggestions to solve it.
I have had a terrible stomachache since last night. What do you think I should do?
I think…
I am 20 kilos overweight. What should I do?
In my opinion, …
I have a party tonight and an exam tomorrow morning. What do you suggest?
From my point of view …
My boyfriend is always on his cell phone and he doesn’t look at me when we are talking. Do you think that I should break up with him?
As far as I see it, …
Look at the phrases we use when we ask and give advice. Click on the 🔊 icon, listen and practice these phrases.
| Asking for advice | Giving advice |
|---|---|
| What do you think I should do? | You should / shouldn’t |
| What should I do? | I think you should / shouldn’t |
| What do you suggest? | In my opinion, you should / shouldn’t |
| What do you advise me to do? | From my point of view you should / shouldn’t |
| Do you think that I should…? | As far as I see it you should / shouldn’t |
| Responding positively | Responding negatively |
|---|---|
| That's a good idea! | No. I don't think so. |
| I think you're right - I'll do that! | I don't think that would help. |
| I never thought of that. | I'm not convinced of that but I'll think about it. |
| Yes, that might help. | I don't think that's the solution ... but thanks anyway. |
| I'll give it a try and see what happens. | I've already tried that. Thanks for the suggestion. |
Let’s practice! Read the following sentences and organize the dialogues. Write the correct number in the gap.
- 1. you should get a job
- 2. My sister gave me some, but it is already gone.
- 3. What do you advise me to do?
- 4. As far as I see it
- 5. you shouldn’t buy things you don’t need, man.
- 6. Hey, what are you looking for?
- 7. I don't think that's the solution ... but thanks anyway.
- 1. That's a good idea, I
- 2. I think I won't pass my exams.
- 3. Hey, Claire! Why that sad face?
- 4. Attention is essential for a good memory and understanding.
- 5. never thought of that.
- 6. In my opinion you should pay more attention to the classes.
- 7. What should I do?