Giving Advice

1. Giving Advice
Definition
Giving Advice is any kind of suggestion regarding a possible course of action for another person.
There are lots of different ways to give advice in English. We are going to look at three:
a. Imperatives
An imperative is a command or an order. To form an imperative, you use the bare
infinitive form of the verb without a subject – it should be clear to the person you are
speaking to that the imperative is about them. For example:
 Wear warm clothes when you visit the UK.
 Don’t be afraid to talk to people.
b. Using modal verbs
There are three useful words/phrases we use to give advice. These are called modals. If
you think something is a good idea, you can use the word: should. If you think
something is a bad idea, you can use the word: shouldn’t. For example:
 You should eat fruit and vegetables every day to stay healthy.
 You shouldn’t eat too much spicy food
c. Why don’t you
Another way to give advice is to use the question form ‘why don’t you…?’ This is a nice
way of making a suggestion – if you are not sure about the advice, you can use this
form. For example:
 Why don’t you take an English course before you go to the UK?
 Why don’t you give her a chocholate?
2. There are several different structures that you can use when giving advice :
a. Should
This is probably the most common of the structures for giving advice. After should, and
its negative - shouldn't - we use the base form of the infinitive of the verb:
 You should wise up
 We shouldn’t cheat

It is common to use 'I think' and 'I don’t think' with should:

 I think you should put the answers back

 She doesn't think they should use them
b. Had better
This structure is common in spoken English and it is usually used in the contracted form.
After had better, and its negative - had better not, we use the base form of the infinitive
of the verb:
 You'd better return the answers to the lecturer
 You'd better not tell anyone that you found them
 c. Ought
This is the most formal of the structures used for giving advice, and so it isn't so
common.
After ought, and it’s negative - ought not (oughtn’t), we use the full infinitive of the
verb:
 You ought to contact the police
 You ought not to cheat in exam
d. If I were you
This version of the second conditional is often used when giving advice, especially in
spoken English. Note the use of were with I in the first clause. In the second clause, we
use would - contracted to d - and wouldn’t. After would and wouldn’t, we use the base
form of the infinitive of the verb:
 If I were you, I’d give them back to the lecturer
 If I were you, I wouldn’t use the answers

3. Useful Exprission
a. To do something
 I think you’d better …
 If I were you, I’d …
 It would probably be a good idea …
 Take my advice and …
 I advice you to …
 How about … ?
b. Not to do something
 I don’t think you should …
 I would not …, If I were you.
 You’d better not …