Giving Advice

•      Standard Competency

Mengungkapkan makna dalam teks percakapan transaksional dan interpersonal resmi dan berlanjut (sustained) dalam konteks kehidupan sehari - hari.

•      Basic Competency

Mengungkapkan makna dalam percakapan transaksional (to get things done) dan interpersonal (bersosialisasi) resmi dan berlanjut (sustained) dengan menggunakan ragam bahasa lisan secara akurat, lancar, dan berterima dalam konteks kehidupan sehari- hari dan melibatkan tindak tutur : menasehati, memperingatkan, meluluskan permintaan, serta menyatakan perasaan relief, pain dan pleasure.

•      Indicators

: Mengidentifikasi makna tintak tutur menasehati

: Merespon tindak tutur menasehati

: Menggunakan tindak tutur menasehati

§  Definition

Giving Advice is any kind of suggestion regarding a possible course of action for another person.

There are lots of different ways to give advice in English.

We are going to look at three:

·         Imperatives

                        An imperative is a command or an order. To form an imperative, you use the bare infinitive form of the verb without a subject – it should be clear to the person you are speaking to that the imperative is about them.

For example:

- Wear warm clothes when you visit the UK.

- Don’t be afraid to talk to people.

This sort of advice is strong so you should use it when you are sure about the advice and when you are speaking to friends. You can make it sound a bit friendlier by using the verb ‘try’.

            For example :

´        Try to learn some English before you go.

´        Try to do your homeworks by your self.

• 2. Using modal verbs

There are three useful words/phrases we use to give advice. These are called modals.

If you think something is a good idea, you can use the word: should

If you think something is a bad idea, you can use the word: shouldn’t

For example:

- You should eat fruit and vegetables every day to stay healthy.

- You shouldn’t eat too much spicy food.

If you are sure (really 100% certain) that something is a terrible idea, you can use the word: mustn’t.

            For example:

- You mustn’t study grammar to learn English properly.

- You mustn't drink alcohol before an important match.

                        If you know something is a rule or law, you can use the phrase: have to 

            For example:

- You have to have a visa to visit the UK if you don’t come from Europe.

• 3. Why don’t you. .

Another way to give advice is to use the question form ‘why don’t you…?’ This is a nice way of making a suggestion – if you are not sure about the advice, you can use this form.

For example:

Why don’t you take an English course before you go to the UK?

Why don’t you give her a chocholate?

There are several different structures that you can use when giving advice

•      Should

                        This is probably the most common of the structures for giving advice. After should, and its negative - shouldn't - we use the base form of the infinitive of the verb:

You should wise up
We shouldn’t cheat

It is common to use 'I think' and 'I don’t think' with should:

I think you should put the answers back
She doesn't think they should use them

•      Had better

This structure is common in spoken English and it is usually used in the contracted form. After had better, and its negative - had better not, we use the base form of the infinitive of the verb

You'd better return the answers to the lecturer
You'd better not tell anyone that you found them

•      Ought

This is the most formal of the structures used for giving advice, and so it isn't so common.
After ought, and its negative - ought not (oughtn't), we use the full infinitive of the verb:

You ought to contact the police
You ought not to cheat in exams

•      If I were you

This version of the second conditional is often used when giving advice, especially in spoken English. Note the use of were with I in the first clause.
In the second clause, we use would - contracted to d - and wouldn’t.

After would and wouldn’t, we use the base form of the infinitive of the verb:

If I were you, I’d give them back to the lecturer
If I were you, I wouldn’t use the answers 

Here are some of the more common expressions. 

Giving advice expressions

If I were you, I would…………..

Have you thought about……………

You really ought to…………….

Why don't you………..

In your position, I would………….

You should perhaps………….

You could always…………

I advise you to …………….

I recommend that you ……………..

You really should……………