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Modals and Infinitives for Giving Advice – English Language Skills I

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📘 Modals and Infinitives for Giving Advice

1. 📌 What Is “Giving Advice” in English?

Giving advice means suggesting a course of action that you think is wise, helpful, or necessary for someone in a particular situation.

In English, we don’t usually say: “You must do this!” (Unless you’re a strict parent or a robot 😅). Instead, we use:

Infinitives without “to” (for direct instructions)
“Should” / “Shouldn’t”
“Ought to”
“Had better”

2. 🔹 Using Bare Infinitives for Direct Advice

When giving advice in the form of a command or immediate suggestion, English often drops “to” and uses the base verb directly. This is called the bare infinitive.

✅ Examples from your textbook:

Try to prepare yourself in advance.
Sit near the front of the room.

👉 Notice: These sound like friendly instructions, not orders.

Rule: After certain verbs like tell, ask, advise, urge, or in imperative advice-giving (like a teacher speaking), we use the bare infinitive.

More examples:

Please study harder next time.
I advise you to review your notes daily. → BUT in speech: “Review your notes daily!”

3. 🔸 “Should” and “Shouldn’t” – The Most Common Advice Tool

This is your daily bread for giving advice! It’s neutral, polite, and widely accepted in academic and social settings.

✅ From your module:

You should be able to work out the important themes.
You should not try to write down every word.

Structure:
Subject + should / shouldn’t + base verb

Real-life Ethiopian student examples:

You should join a study group if you’re struggling with Calculus.

shouldn’t skip breakfast—it’s important for concentration!

4. 🔸 “Ought to” – The Formal (But Rare) Cousin of “Should”

“Ought to” means almost the same as “should”, but it’s more formal and less common in spoken English. Many students avoid it—but you should know it for exams!

Important: You MUST use “to” after “ought”.

✅ Correct:

You ought to talk to your professor.

ought to manage their time better.

❌ Wrong: *“You ought talk…” → This is a common mistake!

⚠️ Common Error Alert! In your module’s Activity 1.2.1, Option 3 tests this:

B: Really? You ______ to her after class.

✅ Correct answer: ought to talk

❌ NOT: “ought talk” or “should to talk”

5. 🔴 “Had Better” – Strong Advice with a Warning!

Use “had better” when the advice is urgent or when there’s a negative consequence if ignored. It’s stronger than “should”!

Structure: Subject + had better + base verb (NO “to”!)

✅ Examples:

You had better not miss the deadline! (Or you’ll fail.)

had better leave now—we’ll be late for the exam!

💡 Note: In informal speech, people say “You’d better…” (contraction of “You had better”).

❌ Common Mistakes:

*“You had better to study.” → NO “to”!
*“You has better go.” → Always “had”, even with “he/she”!

6. 📊 Quick Comparison: Which to Use When?

Expression	Strength	When to Use	Example
Sit / Try / Review	Moderate	Instructions, classroom advice	Review your notes before the test.
Should / Shouldn’t	Medium	Most everyday advice	You should drink more water.
Ought to	Medium (formal)	Academic writing, formal speech	Students ought to attend all lectures.
Had better	Strong (warning!)	Urgent situations, consequences	You had better not cheat!

7. 🧠 Practice Time! (With Answers)

Exercise 1: Complete with the correct form.

I’m always tired in class. I ______ go to bed earlier.
You ______ not copy your friend’s assignment—it’s academic dishonesty!
She missed three lectures. She ______ review the material.
We ______ leave for the bus now, or we’ll miss it!
______ I ask the professor for help?

Solutions:

should
should or had better
should or ought to
had better
Should

Exercise 2: Correct the errors.

You ought talk to your advisor.
He had better to study harder.
Should I to apply for the scholarship?

Corrections:

You ought to talk to your advisor.
He had better study harder.
Should I apply for the scholarship?

8. 💬 Final Thoughts from Your Teacher

Remember, my dear students: Language isn’t just about rules—it’s about connection. When you say, “You should rest,” you’re showing care. When you say, “You’d better submit your assignment,” you’re warning with love. 😊

In Ethiopia, we value respect and wisdom—so use these forms wisely! Don’t sound bossy. Don’t sound robotic. Be kind, clear, and confident.

Now, go practice! Give advice to your friend, your sibling, your future self. 🌟

Based on Communicative English Language Skills I (FLEn 1011), Unit 1.2 – Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ethiopia (2019)

Modals and infinitives for giving advice