EXPRESSING ADVICE

EXPRESSING ADVICE

by Ana-Maria Bădilă

​LEAD IN

​Look at the pictures. Read the statements and match them with appropriate advice.

​SPEAKING

​Look at these pictures. In pairs, make short dialogues with answers giving advice. Make the dialogue as funny as possible. Here is one example:

​BOY: What should I do?

​GIRL: You should throw a sausage over the fence so the dog won't attack you.

​READING

• ​Should, had better, ought to are used to give advice.

• ​Should and ought to mean more or less the same, but we usually don't use ought to in questions and negative statements.

• ​The meaning of had better is often a little stronger. The speaker wants to underline that there will be negative consequences if you ignore the advice.

SHOULD

​SHOULD is used to express advice in positive statements and questions.

​SHOULDN'T is used to express advice in negative sentences.

​Here are some examples.

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​Should I stay or should I go?​​

MUSIC TIME

​https://youtu.be/BN1WwnEDWAM

​READING

​OUGHT TO

We use OUGHT TO in positive sentences only. It is more formal and less common than should. 

Here are some examples:

She ought to do the dishes before going to bed. 

You ought to call your grandmother tonight. 

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​MUSIC TIME

​https://youtu.be/NPcyTyilmYY

​READING

​HAD BETTER

​We use HAD BETTER to tell someone what to do and warn them about possible consequences that can happen if they don’t follow the advice given. We can’t make questions using had better. Examples: 

• You had better study or you will fail the test. 

• You’d better wake up earlier tomorrow or you will miss your flight. 

​READING

Multiple Choice

A: I'm hungry. Should I eat some chocolate?

B: You .............. eat some fruit because it's healthier.

• should

• shouldn't

• ought to

• had better

Multiple Choice

A: I didn't do the test very well. 

B: You ...... go back and study everything again.

• had better

• ought to

• shouldn't

• should

Multiple Choice

A: I'd like to go climbing, but I've never done it before.

B: You .... get some training. It can be dangerous.

• should

• ought to

• shouldn't

• had better

Open Ended

I've broken my friend's MP3 player. What should I do?

Open Ended

I'm angry with my brother. He said something I didn't like. What should I do?

Open Ended

This dress my sister gave me looks terrible. I don't like it at all. What should I do?

​WRITING

• ​Study the phrases on the right. Can you use them in the sentences below?