In this lesson, Learn How to Ask for Advice in English. I will teach you about asking for advice in English and asking for advice in English grammar for better English fluency. Do you know how to ask for advice politely? I will teach you how to ask for advice in English for better speaking. You will learn how to ask for advice as well as ask for advice in English.
Asking for advice in English. So now that we know how to give advice, what if I need advice? How can I ask for advice in English language?
We can also use our modal verbs could, should, ought to, had better to ask for advice. So, let's take a look at asking for advice with modal verbs and then again, I’ll show you some different ways too.
First, “what could I do?” So here we're asking for suggestions. “What could I do, I have no homework and no plans tonight?” What could I do? Right, I’m asking for some advice about some choices. “Oh, you could watch a movie. Or you could go to the park. You could go for a walk.”
Right, could and asking for some choices.
“What should I do?” This is very common and often something we use to ask maybe a friend or family member, “oh what should I do? I don't know please help me. What should I do?” Or similarly, “what do you think I should do?
And finally, “what had I better do?
What had I better do? Oh, you'd better…” Right, so in these questions we see some of our modal verbs as questions. What should I do? Probably the most common here. And, what do you think I should do?
And before we finish let me give you some extra ways to ask for advice in English.
So, remember that sentence, “if I were you, I’d…” So, we could also ask that as a question. “What would you do if you were me? Oh, if I were you, I’d do this…” Right and same meaning. “What would you do if you were in my situation?” Or another way to say it, “what would you do if you were in my shoes?” “In my shoes,” is an idiom in English we use which means, what would you do if you were in my situation. Same meaning. Just like we had the sentence, “I suggest that you…” We could also ask that as a question, “what do you suggest?”
“What do you think?” Or, “can you give me some advice?” Or, “could you give me some advice?” So, uh or we could be specific. “Could you give me some advice?” Or, “could you give me some advice about this thing?” Alright, so here we have some more different ways we can ask for advice.
So, let's put it together and see how giving and asking for advice would work in an English conversation.
Alright number one; “I’m feeling really stressed lately, what should I do? You ought to rest. It's important to give yourself time to relax.” And here again remembering we would really say “you otta.” You ought to rest, it's important to relax.
Number two: “Hey Sarah, could you give me some advice? I want a raise, but I’m nervous about asking.” Right, so maybe my friend asks me “hey I want to ask my boss for more money, but I’m nervous. So, I might say, “if I were you, I’d practice the conversation with a friend first. Want to practice with me?” So here right, very polite. If I were you, this is what I would do. So, that's a conditional. So, if you guys remember from last week conditionals. “If I, were you, I would do this…” And last, let's see “had better.” “Hello Doctor Park, I’ve been feeling sick lately, I think I have the flu. What do you suggest? I’d better give you some medicine to take. You should take these pills three times a day.” So, we can also use the subject “I” with our advice. “I’d better do this.” Or, “I should do that,” right.
