So today we are going to do a lesson about giving advice and asking for advice. So,
you might hear some things you already know, and I hope to give you some new
terms and new phrases you can use. What is advice? Do you guys know what is advice?
Advice is an opinion that someone gives you about what you should do, or how you should act in a
situation in life. So, advice is something we can give, and something we can ask for.
So, what kind of words can we use to give advice? Well, one tip is right here in our definition.
Advice is when someone gives their opinion about what you should do, or how you should act.
And indeed, this is one of the words we will talk about today.
So, who do you usually ask for advice? And have you ever given advice in English?
So, let's start our lesson with giving advice. So how can we give advice in English? There are many
ways we can, but today let's talk about four words, four terms we can use to give advice.
Today let's talk about the words could, should, ought to, and had better.
So, when we look at these words, they are similar and we can use all of them for giving advice,
but some of them are a little weak and some of them are stronger. So, it's what kind of advice
we're going to give. So, we're going to talk about this. So, we're going to start at the bottom with
“could” and go up. So, let's begin with the word “could.” “Could” is something called a modal
verb. A modal verb is an auxiliary or helping verb that expresses necessity or possibility.
If you guys don't know this word, “necessity,” it is related to the word need. Or you,
if maybe you know the word necessary. So, modal verbs in English are words like could, should,
may, and might and so on. So, one tip about modal verbs is they come before other verbs.
So even in our definition of what is advice, we saw it is people giving their opinion about what
you should do, or how you should act. Right, so a modal verb like “could” or “should” come before
that other verb. Should do, could do, ought to act, and we're going to see that a lot today.
So, we're starting at the bottom of our line right. “Could” is a weak or not strong
way to give advice. Often, we use “could” to kind of make a suggestion, to suggest a choice, or
two or more choices. You could kind of like maybe here's a choice that you have. You could do this,
so “could” is really more of a way to offer a suggestion let's take a look at some examples.
Let's say I’m talking to my friend, and she says “I don't know what I’m going to have for dinner.
I have all these ingredients, but I don't feel like cooking.” I might say, “oh you could have
pizza for dinner right.” Offering a suggestion or a choice you could have pizza for dinner.
Next, in this sentence we see using “could” to look at two choices.
You could wear the black shirt or the blue shirt. Maybe I’m trying to help someone choose an outfit.
“Hmm you could wear that one or that one, but not the other ones,” right. Those are your choices.
You could wear this or that. So, in these first two we see, right suggestion offering choices.
Or again, just a suggestion. Maybe someone is asking you, “what you think they should
do for vacation?” “You could travel to Japan for vacation.” You could, maybe just a suggestion.
So, with our modal verbs like, “could” and “should,” when we use “not” it also comes
before that second verb right so just like we would say if we look here; could have,
could wear, could travel. If we want to add “not” it comes right after the word “could” for example,
let's say my friend is asking for advice, what they should do tonight,
and they say; “Oh I think I’m gonna see a movie.” I might say, “You could not see a movie tonight.
You could hang out with me instead.” One thing to mention is when we use “not” like this,
this is not a very common use. Usually when we use “could,” we're using it in the positive form.
When we use it in the negative form with “not” we often put some word stress on
“not” right because it's a suggestion. So, listen to how I say it, “You could not see a movie
tonight. You could hang out with me instead.” So, this sentence might be in response to,
I think I’m going to go see a movie, but I want to hang out with my friend. So, I suggest
you could “not” see a movie tonight you could hang out with me instead. One more thing to notice
before we go to our next word is that second verb. Right so, “could have,” “could wear,”
“could travel.” So, what do we notice about all of these verbs? And here, down here, see “hang
out.” What do you guys notice? What is similar? What is the same between all of these words?
All of these words are in their infinitive form. So, they're, they have not changed. So, we don't
use “has” or “where's” or “traveled” right. We're just using that simple present tense. You “could
have,” you “could wear,” you “could travel” and we'll see this with all of our verbs today. Okay
so “could” is used for very weak, not strong advice. Next, let's take a look at the words
“should” and “ought to.” As we see here, “should” and “ought to” are stronger than could, but
weaker than “had better.” So, let's take a closer look at these two terms.
“Should” is also a modal verb and “ought to” is a semi-modal verb. And what this means
and why it's important is that they also come before the second verbs. Just like we saw
“could,” see “could travel,” we would say “should” see “ought to” travel. So, it works the same way,
and “should” and “ought to” can be used in the same sentences, in the same way. And they have
the same meaning. So, if I say something like uh, “you should travel to Canada.”
I could also say, “You ought to travel to Canada.” And those two sentences mean the same thing.
These are probably the most commonly used advice words, especially “should.”
If you have been learning English for many years, I am sure you have given advice or
made some sentences with “you should,” or I think you should right. Probably the one that
we think of most commonly so we're going to look at some examples, but a quick note
“ought to” is also very common in English, but it can always with “to” even in the negative form.
So, I would never say something like, “you ought go.” I would say, “you ought to go.”
And even in the negative form “you ought not to.” So, one difference here right, we'd say
“could not,” “should not,” but here with “ought to” not goes in the middle. “You ought not to.”
So, let's take a look at some examples of how we can use “should,” and “ought to.”
Number one: “you should come to dinner with me.” So simple right? This is stronger than, “you
could.” If I said, “you could come to dinner with me.” It's just a suggestion. “you should” means
I’m telling you that I want you to. I think you should. “You ought to go to the beach this
summer.” So here again, same level of giving advice. One quick tip about saying “ought to.”
Often in English, we, when we have words like this sometimes, we take two words and put them
together. For example, I think in the live stream last week someone asked about “want to” being
shortened to “wanna.” So I might say something like instead of “what do you want to do?”
“What do you wanna do?” Easier to say, especially when we have the double “t”
and it's the same with “ought to.” Often we say something like “otta,” “you otta
go to the beach this summer.” So usually, we say it a little quickly like that.
Let's take a look at some negative, what should you not do.
You shouldn't wear a jacket today, it's too hot. Right, oh today so hot,
you shouldn't wear a jacket right. My advice, you really shouldn't. And let's see “ought not
to,” not as commonly used, but you do hear it. “You ought not to have ordered so much food.”
And again, when we're looking at these sentences, we see first that our modal verbs “should” and
“ought to” are first right. They're number one. They come before our second verbs come.
“Go,” “where,” and “have.” And that, those second verbs are in just their base form.
Okay, so these are the most commonly used advice words. Alright, last for giving advice and then
after this we'll talk about asking for advice, is the term “had better.” This is the strongest way
to give advice and it's almost like you're saying you should do it right. You need to do it.
So, very very strong advice. So, “had better” is used to talk about the present or the future,
and one thing to be careful about is the verb form is always had not have or has. So,
for every subject, “I had better, you had better, she had better, we had better, they had better,
and so on. We always use had with this and one way to make it a little easier
is that normally we shorten had to “d” in informal situations. For example, instead
of saying “you had better go to sleep.” I might say something like, “you'd better go to sleep.”
Okay so let's see a few more examples of how to use
“had better,” and before we do noting again it is the strongest way to give advice.
Which means we might use “had better” when we're talking about very important situations, safety,
or your health right. Go to the doctor. They might say, you'd better, “you'd better exercise
every day.” “You'd better take your medicine.” Right, important things. It's just kind of a
more polite, more polite than saying do it, but you'd better it's a little more polite.
Okay, so let's take a look at how we use “had better” in these important situation sentences.
Number one, “you'd better go to the doctor, you're bleeding.” Right, if I, oh my gosh,
if I see someone who, oh wow, maybe blood, oh no they got a bad cut, or they fell. “Oh you'd better
go to the doctor.” Right, very strong advice. “You'd better go,” if you don't go there could
be a problem, “you'd better go.” Number two, “he’d better study, he's about to fail.” Oh no,
so maybe uh one of my students, he's very close, maybe he has, his grade is a D in the class. Uh-oh
he'd better study for the test because he's so close to failing. “He'd better study.”
Okay next, here we have something about safety. “We had better put bright lights on our bikes
so other drivers can see us.” Right, we “had better” do that because it is an important thing
for our safety. So, “we had better.” We wouldn't want to use a word like “should” or “could” here
because it's very important. And the last one, hmm I see a police officer giving out tickets,
“you'd better pay for parking.” So maybe my friend is driving, oh I see a police officer,
“hey you'd better pay for parking so you don't get a ticket.”
And notice with each of these situations we're giving strong advice. I would not say, “hey you're
bleeding you could go to the doctor.” no No no, if you have a big problem “you'd better go,” right
if we are worried, worried about our safety. We're going on a bike, not
“oh you could put lights on your bike.” No no “you had better.” Right very strong advice.
Alright so those are the main words we use to give advice in English but let me tell you a few
more before we talk about asking for advice. We also give advice using, “if I were you, I would…”
So, let's say I have a situation where
I’m talking to my friend and they are they have a lot of homework, and they don't,
oh I don't know what to do. I might say hmm, “if I were you, I would make a plan.”
So, this means if I was in your situation, this is what I would do right. This is also fairly common.
Next, “I suggest that you.” so a few times in today's live stream I’ve used
the word “suggestion.” Especially like “could” right. We use “could” to make a suggestion.
So, we can actually also say, “I suggest.” So same thing. “If I were you, I would make a plan.”
I suggest that you make a plan. It might be a good idea too. It might be a good idea to make a plan.
So, if we take a look at these, especially “if I were you, I would…” and it might be a good idea.
This is a very polite very. Polite, not very direct right. “You should, you ought to” no
oh well, “if I were you, it might be a good idea.” So here a very soft and polite way to give advice.
And next, we have questions. “Why don't you…, have you considered… One thing with
questions is our verb here is going to end in “ing,” why don't you, uh why don't you,
nope my mistake. uh only with “have you.” “Why don't you make a plan?”
Have you considered making a plan? So these are five more ways that we can give advice alright.