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:
1. 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.
2.
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.
3. 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?
There are several
different structures that you can use when giving advice :
# 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
# 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
# Ought
This
is the most formal of the structures used for giving advice, and so it isn't so
common.
After ought, and its 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
exams
# 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
Example dialogue :
·
Mariona :
Hi Clàudia, You look worried. What's the matter?
·
Clàudia :
Er.. it's nothing.
·
Mariona :
Is
it the exam tomorrow? You shouldn't worry. You'll pass easily.
·
Clàudia : I know.
·
Mariona :
Come on, tell me. What are you worried about?
·
Clàudia :
OK... it's Mark. I think he has started smoking. I was talking to him yesterday about this topic and he says me
that isn't smoking.
·
Mariona :
That's serious. What are you going to do?
·
Clàudia :
I'm not sure. I should tell someone. What do you think I should do?
·
Mariona :
If
I were you, I'd speak to his older sister. She's really friendly.
·
Clàudia :
I've never met her. Can you com with me?
·
Mariona :
Yes, of course. Let's go and find her.
sumber: http://englishmade01.blogspot.com/2012/11/giving-advice.html
