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What Do We Mean by Giving Advice?
When we advise somebody, we suggest ways in which they could act. Giving advice involves making suggestions or recommending a particular course of action.
Giving Advice in Englsih
A number of modals and semi-modals can be used in English to give advice, including:
Using 'Should'
You can use the modal verb 'should' in the present and future tense to express your opinion and give a subjective advice regarding an action or decision. For example:
Honey! You should study or you will fail the exam.
Stephan should find a new job, teaching is really boring for him.
Using 'Should Have'
You can use should + have + past participles to criticize an action in the past and discuss the preferred alternative. In other words, 'should have' is used when you're saying what would have been the right thing to do, but was not done. You can also use the negative form to refer to something that was not right, but was done anyway. Look at the examples below:
You should have called me when you were alone.
Your sister should have gotten divorced years ago.
People shouldn't have refused to be vaccinated.
Using 'Can'
You can use the modal verb 'can' to offer possible options or helpful suggestions, but it does not imply a strong sense of obligation. Here are some
You can go to college instead of playing these games all the time.
You can try restarting your phone.
Using 'Could'
Usually, the word 'could' is used as the past tense of the modal verb 'can.' In this case, however, 'could' does not express a past meaning, but acts as a more tentative and polite alternative for 'can.' It's good for softer advice, especially when you don't want to sound pushy. For example:
You could ask someone for help.
You could try using another method.
Using 'Could Have'
'Could have' is used with a past participle to refer to options that were available, but weren't chosen. It expresses a degree of regret at the missed opportunity. Here are some examples:
You could have asked for help.
Lexi could have talked to him before breaking up.
Using 'Might'
You can use the modal verb might to refer to a present or future time to offer a possibility or gentle recommendation, often when you're being careful, polite, or unsure. For example:
You might want to talk to your manager about that.
You might consider taking a break.
Using 'Might Have'
You can use 'might have' before past participles to express that you think something was better to be done in another way. For example:
Patricia might have been kinder to her co-workers.
Toby might have spent his money more carefully.
'Ought'
Using the semi-modal verb 'ought' to give advice is less common in modern English. However, you might encounter it in old or literary texts. Check out the examples.
You ought to have studied more.
You ought to talk to him in person.
Using 'Had Better'
'Had better' is a semi-modal verb that is used to give strong advice. Despite its form, this structure is used in the present tense. Here are some examples:
You had better tell the truth or we cannot help you.
She had better give me my money.
Using 'Why...Not'
This expression is used a lot in conversations and everyday English. It is usually followed by a subject pronoun to offer a course of action in the present or past. Check out the examples:
Why didn't you change your bank account password?
Why doesn't he just do what his boss says?
Review
Some modal verbs can be used to give advice. These modal verbs are: can, could, should have, could have, might, might have. Check out the table that shows the function of these verbs based on the tenses.
present | past | future | |
|---|---|---|---|
can | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
could | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
should | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
should have | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
could have | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
might | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
might have | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ |
Quiz:
Which of the following sentences gives advice using a gentle suggestion?
You should apologize to her immediately.
You had better not lie to the police.
You might want to back up your files just in case.
You should have told me this earlier.
Sort the words to form a correct sentence giving an advice.
Match the modal/expression with its correct meaning.
Fill the blanks with the correct verb form. (There is one extra option.)
He
told the truth, but he chose to lie.
You
try restarting your computer.
We
left earlier to avoid the traffic.
You
want to bring an umbrella; it looks like rain.
She
apologize before it gets worse.
Which of the following sentences correctly uses the "Why...not" structure to give advice?
Why not he goes to the gym every morning?
Why doesn't she talk to her teacher about the issue?
Why not did you try calling him last night?
Why he doesn't takes the train instead?
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