Grammar

Giving Advice & Suggestions

Jacob M

— 5 min read
Giving Advice & Suggestions
Photo by National Cancer Institute / Unsplash
Giving Advice: Should, Could, & Might

Giving Advice & Suggestions

Learn to use Should, Could, and Might!

Using Modals for Advice

Should (Strong Advice)

We use should to give strong, direct advice. It means "I think this is a very good idea."

Example: "You have a test tomorrow. You should study."

Shouldn't (Strong Negative Advice)

We use shouldn't to say something is a bad idea.

Example: "You have a test tomorrow. You shouldn't play games all night."

Could / Might (Gentle Suggestions)

We use could and might to give softer, more polite suggestions. They offer one possibility among many.

Example: "If you want to relax, you could watch a movie, or you might try listening to some music."

Check Your Understanding

1. Your friend has an important exam tomorrow. They ___ play video games all night.

2. She feels sick. She ___ see a doctor.

3. Your friend is bored. What is a gentle suggestion? "You ___ read a book."

4. Your friend wants to get a gift for his mom. What is a polite way to give an idea? "You ___ buy her some flowers."

Activity: Good, Okay, or Bad Advice?

Problem 1:

"I have a big crush on someone in my class, but I'm too shy to talk to them. What should I do?"

Drag the advice below into the correct bucket:

You should try to smile and say hello.
You shouldn't talk to them. Just give up.
You could ask your friend to tell them you like them.

Good Advice 👍

Okay Advice 🤔

Bad Advice 👎

Problem 2:

"I'm failing my math class. I don't understand anything the teacher says. What should I do?"

Drag the advice below into the correct bucket:

You should ask the teacher for extra help after class.
You could ask to copy your friend's homework.
You shouldn't worry about it. Math isn't important.

Good Advice 👍

Okay Advice 🤔

Bad Advice 👎

Problem 3:

"My friend is always 30 minutes late when we plan to meet. It makes me angry. What should I do?"

Drag the advice below into the correct bucket:

You should yell at them the next time you see them.
You should talk to them calmly about how it makes you feel.
You could start telling them to meet 30 minutes earlier than the real time.

Good Advice 👍

Okay Advice 🤔

Bad Advice 👎

Activity: Problem Page 2

Read the problems from high school students. What advice would you give?

Problem 1: "My parents want me to be a doctor, but I want to be an artist."

"They say being an artist isn't a real job. They won't listen to me. What should I do?" - Nam

Problem 2: "My best friend started smoking."

"My friend wants me to try it. I don't want to, but I'm scared they won't be my friend anymore if I say no. What should I do?" - Bank

Problem 3: "I spend too much time on social media."

"I scroll on TikTok and Instagram for hours, and my grades are getting bad. I try to stop, but I can't. What should I do?" - Fah

Read more