Giving Advice: Should, Ought To and If I Were You…
5-Minute English Lab · B1 Intermediate
🌟 Giving Advice: Should, Ought To and If I Were You…
⏱ 5 minutes · PPP · Functional Language & Grammar
💬 From my own experience: New teachers often ask me: ‘What should I do when a student doesn’t understand?’ I always say: ‘If I were you, I’d try a different example before explaining again — never repeat the same explanation louder.’ Advice is an art form.
🎯 By the end of this 5 minutes, you can:
give and respond to advice using should / shouldn’t, ought to, if I were you, why don’t you.
Language Focus:
You should try…You shouldn’t…If I were you, I’d…Why don’t you…?Have you thought about…?
📖 Quick Explanation
English has several ways to give advice, from strong to gentle:
| Expression | Strength | Example |
|---|---|---|
| You should / shouldn’t | Strong | You should practise every day. |
| You ought to | Moderate (more formal) | You ought to ask for help. |
| If I were you, I’d… | Friendly/personal | If I were you, I’d speak to your manager. |
| Why don’t you…? | Gentle/suggestion | Why don’t you try a different approach? |
Grammar note: Should / ought to are followed by the base verb (infinitive without to) — except ought to which keeps the to: You ought to try.
✏️ Practice
Task 1: Choose the right form
Complete with should/shouldn’t, ought to, or if I were you:
1. You ___ arrive late to a job interview. (negative)
2. ___, I’d research the company before applying.
3. You ___ to practise your presentation out loud.
💡 Show answer
Task 2: Transform the advice
Give the same advice using 3 different forms:
Problem: My student keeps making the same grammar mistake.
💡 Show answer
Task 3: What would you say?
A friend says: ‘I’m nervous about speaking English at work.’ Write 3 pieces of advice using 3 different expressions.
💡 Show answer
🗣 Use It Now
✅ Quick Self-Check
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