🎯 Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Differentiate between general advice (should, ought to) and strong advice/warnings (had better)
- Use should and ought to to offer constructive feedback and recommend solutions
- Apply had better for urgent situations or to give a clear warning
- Formulate questions to ask for advice in professional and daily contexts
📚 Grammar & Skill Explanation
In any professional role, giving and receiving advice is a daily activity. The words you choose can make your suggestions sound helpful and constructive rather than critical. These modal verbs help you deliver advice with the right tone and urgency.
Form & Structure
- General Advice: should / ought to + base verb
You should update the software.
You shouldn't ignore the warning.
Should I contact them now? - Strong Advice / Warning: had better ('d better) + base verb
You'd better finish that report today.
You'd better not be late.
Usage Rules & Degrees of Strength
- Should: Neutral, common advice. Suggests “this is a good idea.” Works well in most contexts.
- Ought to: Slightly stronger and more formal. Suggests the advice is correct or expected.
- Had better: Strong advice for a specific, urgent situation. Always includes an implied consequence if ignored. Not used for general or past advice.
Helpful Discourse Markers
Use phrases such as “In my opinion...”, “It might be a good idea to...”, “Have you considered...?”, and “If I were you, I would...” to frame advice professionally.
Key Learning Tip: Use 'd better for now or the near future when a consequence is clear. For long-term or general advice, choose should (or ought to in more formal situations).
🌍 Context & Real-World Usage
🏢 Professional Scenarios
Constructive Feedback: “You should include a summary slide at the end of your presentation.”
Recommending Solutions: “We ought to invest in better project management software.”
Giving a Warning: “You'd better double-check those figures before you send them to the client.”
Team Coordination: “We should meet tomorrow morning to discuss this.”
🏙️ Everyday Situations
Health Advice: “You have a bad cough. You should see a doctor.”
Urgent Plans: “The movie starts in five minutes. We'd better find our seats quickly.”
Social Suggestion: “You ought to call your grandparents; they'd love to hear from you.”
🔍 Examples & Analysis
✅ Correct Professional & Daily Usage
- Workplace: “You should try restarting the application first; it often solves the issue.”
- Workplace: “As a company, we ought to be more transparent in our communications with staff.”
- Workplace: “The server will go down in five minutes. You'd better save your work now.”
- Workplace: “You shouldn't accept their first offer.”
- Everyday: “The traffic is terrible today. You should probably take the subway instead.”
- Everyday: “You'd better not forget to bring your passport—they won't let you board.”
❌ Common Business Mistakes
- Mistake: “You should to check the figures again.” → Correction: “You should check the figures again.”
- Mistake: “The client is very unhappy. You should call them now.” → Correction: “You'd better call them now.”
- Mistake: “You had better learn new skills to advance your career.” → Correction: “You should learn new skills to advance your career.”
🎧 Listening Exercise
Feedback on a Presentation
Ready
0:00 / 0:00
Speed:
Listening Questions
1. What is Ken's primary advice about the presentation slides?
2. What does Ken say is important from a company perspective?
3. Why does Leo need to act quickly?
4. Complete the sentence: “It's a key account, so you'd better not __________ the file with the old logo.”