Read & Listen: Giving Advice
OVERVIEW
On this page, you will learn about giving advice.
- First, read the text and study the examples.
- Then, listen to audio of the text.
READ & LISTEN
Read:
When a friend or someone we know has a problem, we sometimes like to give advice. Advice is an opinion or suggestion about what someone can do to solve (fix) a problem. If you have an idea for how to solve a problem, you can talk about it using one of these verbs:
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
| can + base verb | someone is able to do this action; someone has the power to do this action | You can do a hobby to have fun and relax. |
| need* to + base verb | this action is necessary or required | Raul smokes a lot when he feels stress. He needs to limit his use of tobacco. |
| should + base verb | this action is a very good idea or the best idea | Sena should ask her teacher for help when she doesn't understand. |
*Need changes depending on the subject. You add an s for third person singular (he, she it). The main verb after can and should does not change.
Example:
I need to rest more.
She needs to rest more.
You should talk to a friend.
He should talk to a friend.
Listen:
Read:
When you offer someone advice, it is a good idea to tell them your idea gently. If someone has a difficult problem, it can also be difficult to talk about the problem and listen to ideas. To make your advice softer or more gentle, you can start with "I think..." or "Maybe..."
Example:
You have a lot of stress these days. Maybe you can do a hobby to have fun and relax.
Raul smokes a lot when he feels stress. I think he needs to limit his use of tobacco.
I think Sena should ask her teacher for help when she doesn't understand.
Listen: