Within this unit’s theme of Education, this lesson focuses on the language function of giving advice and suggestions, a skill you need when discussing study habits, school choices, and academic problems.
Giving Advice and Making Suggestions
| Expression | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| You should… | You should review your lessons every day, not only before exams. |
| You ought to… | You ought to ask your teacher for help if you don’t understand a topic. |
| Why don’t you…? | Why don’t you join the school’s study group this term? |
| I suggest (that)… | I suggest that you make a weekly study timetable. |
| You had better… | You had better start your project now, or you won’t finish on time. |
| If I were you, I would… | If I were you, I would speak to the school counsellor about the problem. |
| It would be a good idea to… | It would be a good idea to take notes during every lesson. |
Agreeing and Disagreeing with Advice
When someone gives advice, you can respond by agreeing or disagreeing politely. To agree, you can say: « That’s a good idea, I’ll try it, » or « You’re right, I really should study more regularly. » To disagree politely, you can say: « I see your point, but I think I prefer studying alone, » or « That might work for some people, but it isn’t really for me. » Using these phrases keeps a conversation about education polite and cooperative, even when opinions differ. For example: A: You should stay after school for extra tutoring. B: That’s a good idea, but I already have a part-time job in the afternoons.
Practice Exercises
Exercise 1 — Give a piece of advice to a friend who never reviews their lessons, using ‘You should…’.
Exercise 2 — Rewrite this sentence using ‘Why don’t you…?’: ‘I advise you to ask the teacher for extra exercises.’
Exercise 3 — Complete the sentence: ‘If I were you, I ______ (join) the school debate club.’
Exercise 4 — Write a polite disagreement to this advice: ‘You should stop playing sports and only focus on studying.’
Exercise 5 — Choose the correct expression for urgency: ‘You ___ better hand in your homework today, or you will lose marks.’
Exercise 6 — Write a short two-line dialogue in which one student gives advice about exam preparation and the other agrees.
Answer Key
Answer 1 — Example answer: You should review your lessons every day after school.
Answer 2 — Why don’t you ask the teacher for extra exercises?
Answer 3 — would join
Answer 4 — Example answer: I see your point, but I think sports actually help me relax and study better afterwards.
Answer 5 — had
Answer 6 — Example answer: A: I suggest you start revising two weeks before the exam. B: That’s a good idea, I’ll make a study plan today.
