Asking for and giving advice: should, ought to, if I were you

🔊 المعلّمة تقرأ لك

« My wife and I think he ought to take up something more secure. » « I don't think you should stand in his way. » « If I were you, I'd let him decide for himself. » In one conversation about William's future, three pieces of advice are given — in three different ways. You already know should, ought to and If I were you; this lesson makes sure you can use them to ask for advice and to give it politely. So how do you give advice without giving orders?

🎓في نهاية هذا الدرس ستكون قادرا على:

تقديم النصح بـ ⁦should⁩ و ⁦ought to⁩ متبوعتين بالمصدر، وبـ ⁦If I were you, I would …⁩
تلطيف النصيحة بـ ⁦I think … ought to⁩ و ⁦I don’t think you should⁩
طلب النصح بسؤال يبدأ بـ ⁦should⁩، مثل ⁦Should I …?⁩ و ⁦What should I do?⁩
كتابة قائمة نصائح لامتحان البكالوريا

🔑يفترض هذا الدرس أنّك تتقن:

الأفعال الناقصة متبوعة بالمصدر دون ⁦to⁩
الجملة الشرطية من النوع الثاني ⁦(If I were …, I would …)⁩
الفعل ⁦think⁩ لإبداء الرأي

1. Three ways to give advice

نقدّم النصيحة بـ ⁦should⁩ أو ⁦ought to⁩ متبوعتين بالمصدر، أو نضع أنفسنا مكان المخاطَب بـ ⁦If I were you⁩، ونلطّفها بـ ⁦I think⁩.

To give advice, we use should or ought to + infinitive: « He ought to take up something more secure. » They have the same meaning as had better — but without its warning that something bad might happen. We can also put ourselves in the other person's place with If I were you, I would (I'd) …: « If I were you, I'd let him decide for himself. » It is a conditional of type 2: were for every person, would in the other clause. Advice is often softened with I think or I don't think: « I don't think you should stand in his way. » Notice where the negative is: on think.

Four sentences from the conversation

A. If I were you, I'd let him decide for himself. B. My wife and I think he ought to take up something more secure. C. I don't think you should stand in his way. D. I must admit my wife and I would have felt much happier if he'd chosen to do something else.

Task 1 — What do the words and phrases in bold express?

علامَ تدلّ الكلمات والعبارات المكتوبة بالخطّ الغليظ؟

A. If I were you — advice: the headmaster puts himself in Mr Harris's place.
B. ought to — advice: what Mr and Mrs Harris think William should do.
C. should — advice too, softened by « I don't think »: the headmaster does not give an order.
D. must — not advice: « I must admit » expresses what Mr Harris feels obliged to say. Obligation is the subject of another lesson.

Task 2 — In the conversation, who advises whom, and with which words?

في الحوار: من ينصح من؟ وبأيّ عبارة؟

Who	To whom	The advice	The form
Mr and Mrs Harris	William	he ought to take up something more secure	ought to
the headmaster	Mr Harris	I don't think you should stand in his way	I don't think … should
the headmaster	Mr Harris	If I were you, I'd let him decide for himself	If I were you, I would
the headmaster	Mr Harris	You'd better accept the fact that nowadays people don't worry about security	had better — with a warning

The headmaster never says « you must »: he advises, he does not order. That is why his advice is polite — and convincing.

2. Asking for advice

لطلب النصيحة نضع ⁦should⁩ قبل الفاعل: ⁦Should I …?⁩ أو ⁦What should I do?⁩.

To ask for advice, put should before the subject: « Should I tell my parents? » « What should I do? » The same order is used in any question with should: « Why should a parent ask to see a headmaster? »

Give advice to each person with should, ought to or If I were you.

A. A friend wants to become an artist, but his parents are against it. B. Your cousin never revises before exams. C. A classmate does not know which subjects to choose at university. D. Your little sister spends all her evenings in front of the television.

Task 3 — model answers

إجابات نموذجية: نصيحة لكلّ شخص.

A. If I were you, I would explain my choice to my parents calmly.
B. You should revise a little every day.
C. I think you ought to ask your teachers for advice.
D. I don't think you should watch television every evening.

Four sentences, four ways to advise — and none of them is an order.

3. A checklist for the Baccalauréat

قائمة نصائح لامتحان البكالوريا: جمل قصيرة، في كلّ واحدة ⁦should⁩ أو ⁦ought to⁩.

Advice can also be organised as a checklist of tips: short sentences, one tip each, all built with should, ought to or If I were you. A warning can close the list, with unless.

Do this alone, in writing. Prepare a checklist of five tips reminding students of what they should or ought to do during the Baccalauréat exam, and end with one warning using unless. Then check each tip: should or ought to + infinitive?

حضّر وحدك قائمة من خمس نصائح للتلاميذ في امتحان البكالوريا، واختمها بتحذير بـ ⁦unless⁩.

A model answer

The things that you should do during the Baccalauréat exam 1. You should read all the questions carefully before you start. 2. You ought to begin with the question you know best. 3. You should keep an eye on the time. 4. If I were you, I would write a plan before writing the essay. 5. You should read your answers again before you hand in your paper. And a warning: unless you manage your time, you won't finish the paper.

In the exam, advice is tested by rewriting: a sentence with should, ought to, had better or If I were you to rewrite with another of them, without changing its meaning — « You ought to rest » becomes « If I were you, I would rest ». Have three things ready: ① should + infinitive, ought to + infinitive (ought keeps its to); ② If I were you, I would + infinitive — were for every person; ③ I don't think you should to soften advice. The frequent mistakes are « should to go » and, in writing, « If I was you »: write you should go, If I were you.

What I keep — To give advice, I use should or ought to + infinitive (He ought to take up something more secure), or I put myself in the other person's place: If I were you, I'd let him decide for himself. I soften it with I think / I don't think (I don't think you should stand in his way). To ask for advice: Should I …? What should I do? And had better adds a warning.

الصفحة 1/4