A Letter of Advice

Sometimes we need to give advice in letters. Depending on how formal the writing
is, we can use the following expressions:

For giving advice

 Why not...?
 Why don`t you...?

 You should...

 It would be a good idea to/if...

 Have you considered/thought about...?

 If I were you, I would...

 I think the best thing would be to/if...

 One/Another suggestion is to...

 The best advice I can give you is to...

For showing result

 This will/would mean that...

 Then, ...

 That way, ...

 If you do this, ...

 By doing this, ...

 The result of this would be...

[e.g. Why not start a new job. That way, you will be able to earn more money. ]
A Letter of Advice Plan

Opening remarks, reason for writing.

Give your advice and justify it.

Give more evidence on why he should follow your advice.

Closing remarks.
This is part of a letter you have received from a friend;

…….. and I know that I really need to speak English better. The problem is that I haven’t
got time for extra lessons or regular study sessions. What else can I do to improve my
English? Please write and tell me what you suggest.

- Write your letter of advice to your friend.

 A Model Letter of Advice
Dear Dan,
Thanks for your last letter. I think it’s great you want to brush up on your English and of
course I’m too glad to help. Here are a few things you can try.

First of all, it would be a good idea to start reading more in English. You probably won’t
have time to read novels but there are plenty of magazines that also help you improve your
English. As you are so fond of nature, why don’t you take out a subscription to National
Geographic? You`ll be amazed at how fast you pick things up when you actually like the subject.

Another suggestion is to watch films on DVD without the subtitles. That way you force
yourself to listen to the language very carefully. For a film lover like you, that`ll be learning
having fun!

The best advice I can give you, though, is to get more English speaking pen-friends and
email friends. That method really worked for me when I wanted to improve my Italian. Not only
will you learn a lot of new phrases, but you will also practise language actively yourself.

I hope these ideas will help. And remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t give up too
easily! Write and let me know how you get on.

Yours,
Pam

- Write a letter of advice to your friend who has some problems concerning his studying
plan & how to organize his time.
- Write a letter of advice to your friend who doesn’t know how to spend his summer
vacation effectively.