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What is English advice? Tips on how to ask and give advice in English
There will be occasions in life when you need to ask for advice from others as well as give advice to help someone. Depending on each situation, the ways we ask and give advice in English can vary. PREP has compiled a list of effective methods to both provide and get advice. Let's go exploring together!
I. What is English advice?
English advice refers to suggestions given to encourage or counsel someone. Depending on different situations and timing, you can offer various ways to give advice in English. For examples:
- You should exercise regularly if you want to stay healthy.
- If I were you, I would take part in the swimming club.
- His doctor advised him against smoking.
II. Formula to give advice in English
To provide the most accurate advice, you must carefully consider the situation to make the most appropriate recommendations. Below are some suggestions that PREP on how you give advice in English.
1. Give advice in English by modal verbs
Many modal verbs are used to give advice in English, among which 'should' is the most common.
Please note that when using modal verbs to give advice in English, you need to pay attention to the degree of each verb and combine it with a suitable tone, avoiding any misunderstanding that it is an imperative sentence. For examples:
Modal verb | Example on how to give advice in English |
S + should + V ➡ Gently advising somebody to do something. | You should try to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night to feel rested and alert during the day. |
S + ought to + V ➡ A gentle level of advice (similar to should), hoping that something will happen. | If you want to improve your English skills, you ought to practice speaking and listening as much as possible. |
S + had better + V ➡ Warning and threatening. | You had better not eat too much junk food if you want to stay healthy. |
S + must + V ➡ A warning level, requiring compliance rather than advising as with should. | You must always wear your seatbelt while driving to prevent serious injury in case of an accident. |
2. Give advice in English by verbs: Advise, Recommend and Suggest
2.1. Advise
When we mention 'advice', we often associate it with 'advise'. These two words belong to the same family, where one is a noun and the other a verb. In English, how can we employ these two words to offer recommendations to others?
- Advise (verb): give suggestions to someone.
- Advice (noun): instructions, guidance.
Structure | Example on how to give advice in English |
Advise somebody do something. | I advise you to study hard if you want to pass the exam. |
Advise somebody + that + clause. | I advised him that he should arrive at the airport at least two hours before his flight. |
Give + advice + to + advice taker. | I gave some advice to my friend on how to deal with her difficult boss. |
Ask + for + advice. | She asked for my advice on whether she should accept the job offer or not. |
2.2. Recommend or suggest
Besides Advise, Recommend/Suggest are also two commonly used verbs in English advice. We use 'recommend' or 'suggest' when we want to suggest something that's good and appropriate for someone.
Recommend/suggest | Example on how to give advice in English |
S + recommend/suggest + V-ing | I recommend writing your feelings down on paper. I suggested putting the matter to the committee. |
S + recommend/suggest + (that) Clause | The doctor recommended (that) I get more exercise. My mom suggests (that) I should wait a while before we make any firm decisions. |
3. Give advice in English by questions
Instead of giving advice directly, you can pose suggestive questions for the listener to explore answers and resolve their own issues. Common questions used in English advice include:
Advising question | Example on how to give advice in English |
Have you tried + V-ing? | Have you tried practicing meditation to reduce stress? |
Have you ever thought about + V-ing/N? | Have you ever thought about taking a break from work and traveling? |
Have you ever considered + V-ing? | Have you ever considered learning a new language to improve your job prospects? |
Why don’t you + V
| Why don’t you pay more attention to yourself instead of him? |
How about + V-ing/N | How about giving her a lovely gift and apologizing to her? |
What about + V-ing/N | What about finishing your homework and then we can go for a coffee latte? |
4. Put yourselves in others’ perspective to give advice in English
When you put yourself in someone else's position, you will easily empathize, understand and provide the most useful advice for them. The following is how to give advice in English by putting yourself in someone else's shoes with this structure:
If I were you, I would/could…
Examples:
- If I were you, I would take a break and go for a walk to clear my head.
- If I were you, I would apply for that job opportunity you've been considering.
- If I were you, I would apologize to my friend for the misunderstanding and try to make things right.
III. Formula for asking English advice
You may refer to the structure table that PREP has prepared below to ask for English advice from others.
Structure | Example |
What would you recommend + I + V…? | What would you recommend I do in this situation? |
Do you have any advice on…? | Do you have any advice on how I can improve my skills? |
Can you give me some guidance…? | I'm not sure what to do. Can you give me some guidance? |
What do you think I + (should) V…? | I'm facing a difficult decision. What do you think I should do? |
Can you offer me any suggestions…? | Can you offer me any suggestions for how to handle this situation? |
Can you give me some advice…? | I'm feeling lost and don't know what to do. Can you give me some advice? |
What steps do you think I should + V…? | What steps do you think I should take to achieve my goal? |
What do you think is the best one…? | I'm considering different options. What do you think is the best one? |
What do you think are the pros and cons…? | What do you think are the pros and cons of this decision? |
I need your advice on… | I need your advice on how to handle a difficult conversation. |
IV. Tips to respond to English advice
When receiving advice from someone, how should we respond to make the other person feel happy? Let's explore this together with PREP!
1. Accept the advice
- When you want to express satisfaction and contentment with the advice someone gives you, you can respond in the following ways:
- Thank you, I really appreciate your advice.
- That's a good point, I'll definitely consider it.
- I hadn't thought of it that way before, thanks for bringing it to my attention.
- I see what you mean, I'll give it a try.
- Your advice makes a lot of sense, I'll take it into consideration.
2. Refuse the advice politely
When receiving advice from someone but feeling that it doesn't fit the current situation you're experiencing, how should you respond? Here are ways to graciously thank and politely decline others' advice to avoid hurting their feelings!
- Thank you for your advice, but I think I'll try something different.
- I appreciate your suggestion, but I have my own way of doing things.
- I understand where you're coming from, but I don't think that's the best approach for me.
- Thanks for your input, but I don't think that would work for me.
- I appreciate your advice, but I'm going to follow my instincts on this one.
Hopefully, the article on how to give advice in English provided by PREP above can be helpful for you. Be sure to regularly follow PREP to update the latest articles and information, not just about vocabulary but also challenging grammar points. Wish you all success in your studies!
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