Expressing specific preference. When we speak about a specific preference, would rather and would prefer have the same meaning and are interchangeable. Asking for what we want can feel vulnerable. We are creatures of habit, and we like to stay within what’s comfortable and familiar. When we ask for what we want we step out of the shadows to declare ourselves and open to the possibility of the new and unknown. 15 simple ways to express your.
Giving advice in English might seem tricky at first. There are several ways to do it and each uses a slightly sentence structure. So, how do we choose which one to use? Find out with these five simple ways to give advice in English.
Use a modal verb
There are two modal verbs we often use for giving advice: ‘should’ and ‘ought to’. Both mean the same thing but work in slightly different ways. Let’s look at some examples.
You should do more exercise.
You shouldn’t drink so much beer.
You shouldn’t drink so much beer.
As you can see above, after ‘should’ we use an infinitive without ‘to’.
You ought to do more exercise.
You ought not to drink so much beer.
You ought not to drink so much beer.
Unlike ‘should’, we always use ‘to’ in ‘ought to’ for giving advice.
Make it into a question
To make advice less direct, we can use a question to make the person we are advising consider about the advice we are giving them.
Why don’t you do some more exercise?
How about doing some more exercise?
How about doing some more exercise?
With the question ‘Why don’t you…?’ we use an infinitive without ‘to’. When we use ‘How about…?’ to make a question, we use a gerund after it.
Put yourself in the person’s position
If someone is asking for your advice, sometimes it’s useful to imagine yourself being in that person’s position. This is a good way to explain your advice, too.
If I were you, I would do more exercise.
Remember to use an infinitive after ‘would’ and not ‘to’. To make this negative, put ‘not’ after ‘would’.
Make a suggestion
A suggestion or recommendation is another good way of giving advice that isn’t to direct. You can use the words ‘suggest’ or ‘recommend’ as in the example below.
I would suggest doing more exercise.
I would recommend doing more exercise.
I would recommend doing more exercise.
Use ‘verb+ing’ after ‘suggest’ or ‘recommend’ to explain your advice to the listener. To make these negative, put ‘not’ before your ‘verb+ing’.
Advise in a stronger way
Sometimes, you need to make your advice stronger to let the listener know that it’s really important. We can use the expression ‘you had better…’ to do this.
You had better do more exercise before you start getting fat.
You had better not drink so much beer or you will get fat.
You had better not drink so much beer or you will get fat.
We use an infinitive after ‘better’ to explain our advice and add ‘not’ after ‘better’ to make the sentence negative.
So, now you know how to give advice in English. Next time one of your friends is having some trouble, give them some advice in English and try out your new skills.
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Whether during a pleasant chat or a heated debate, opportunities arise in conversation for participants to express agreement or disagreement. Between sarcasm, slang and double negatives, finding the appropriate agreement and disagreement expressions is tricky for English language learners at any age. While “yes,” “no,” “I agree” and “I disagree,” are polite and acceptable responses, they are not the only affirmative or negative expressions available and may not be the logical responses in a given situation.
Agreement Expressions
A simple “yes” appropriately expresses agreement in many situations, but it’s not always the appropriate response. When someone says, “I really enjoyed that dinner,” responses such as “Me too” and “So did I,” confirm a shared opinion. Other affirmative statements express a full and strong agreement. For example, saying “exactly,” “absolutely” or “I couldn’t agree more,” in response to an opinion expresses total agreement. Occasionally, “I know” is used to indicate a shared opinion. For instance, if someone says, “That waiter is so rude,” responding with “I know” indicates your agreement with the statement.
Whether during a pleasant chat or a heated debate, opportunities arise in conversation for participants to express agreement or disagreement. Between sarcasm, slang and double negatives, finding the appropriate agreement and disagreement expressions is tricky for English language learners at any age. While “yes,” “no,” “I agree” and “I disagree,” are polite and acceptable responses, they are not the only affirmative or negative expressions available and may not be the logical responses in a given situation.
Disagreement Phrases
Saying “no” or “I disagree” may be the quickest way to express disagreement, but it’s not always the most polite. Certain phrases, such as “I see your point, but … ,” “That’s partly true, however … ” and “Maybe, but ... ,” are designed to soften disagreements by first validating the original speaker’s statement before stating your differing opinion. For example, if a co-worker says, “She should be fired because she’s always late to work,” a reply of “I see your point, but she does stay late, too,” indicates your disagreement with the opinion that she should be fired.
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