Table of Contents
Asking for and Giving Advice
Expressions and Phrases
Asking for advice:
- I’ve got a bad toothache. What do you suggest?
- What do you advise me to do?
- What should I do?
- What ought I to do?
- What’s your advice?
- If you were me, what would you do?
Giving advice:
- If I were you, I would go to the dentist.
- Why don’t you go to the dentist?
- You’d better brush your teeth regularly.
- You ought to/should avoid eating sweets.
- If you take my advice, you’ll go to the dentist.
- It might be a good idea to brush your teeth on a regular basis.
- I advise you to brush your teeth on a regular basis.
- Have you thought about seeing a dentist?
Declining to give advice:
- I don’t know what to advise, I’m afraid.
- I wish I could suggest something, but I can’t.
- I wish I could help.
- I’m afraid I can’t really help you.
Asking for Advice Techniques
When asking for advice in English, it’s not only about the words you choose, but also about how you ask. Here are some techniques to make your request more effective and polite:
- Start with context
Give a short explanation of the situation before asking.- “I’ve been having trouble sleeping lately. What do you think I should do?”
- Use polite forms
Adding words like please, could you, or would you mind makes your request softer.- “Could you please give me some advice on improving my English?”
- Ask open-ended questions
Instead of yes/no questions, use ones that invite longer answers.- “What would you do in my situation?”
- “What’s the best way to deal with this problem?”
- Show appreciation
Expressing gratitude encourages the other person to help.- “I’d really appreciate your advice on this matter.”
- Check for availability
Sometimes, the person may not be ready to give advice, so it’s polite to ask first.- “Do you have a moment to give me some advice?”
- Be specific
Narrow your question so the advice is more useful.- “What should I focus on first—grammar or vocabulary?” instead of “How do I learn English?”
Things to Remember about Asking for and Giving Advice:
1. “Advise” is a verb.
Example:
“I advise you to learn English. You will undoubtedly need it in your higher studies.”
2. “Advice” is a noun.
Example:
“My father gave me this piece of advice when I was young: never give up.”
3. “Ought to” has nearly the same meaning as “should“. The only difference is that “ought to ” refers to a moral or external obligation, but should is more of an advice.
Example:
“You ought to stop smoking.”
“You should stop smoking.”
4. “You’d better” is the short form of “you had better.”
Example:
“You‘d better see a doctor!” = “You had better see the doctor”
Example dialogue:
| Student: | I’m terrible at English and I think I should do something about it. What do you advise me to do? |
|---|---|
| Teacher: | I think you should try this website. It’s a fantastic website for beginners. |
| Student: | I’ve heard about it, but what do you think I should start with? |
| Teacher: | You’d better start with the lessons. Then, try the exercises. |
