Welcome to your English grammar lesson! Today, we’re going to learn about a very useful word: ‘should’. We use ‘should’ all the time to give advice. If you want to tell someone what you think is a good idea, ‘should’ is your friend! This is perfect for A1+ level English learners who want to improve their spoken English and give simple advice.

What is ‘Should’ for Advice?

‘Should’ is a modal verb. Don’t worry too much about ‘modal verb’ – just think of it as a helping word. We use ‘should’ to:

• Give suggestions or recommendations.
• Tell someone what you think is the right thing to do.
• Say what is a good idea in a certain situation.

Think of it like saying, “In my opinion, it is good to do this”. But it’s much shorter and easier to say “You should do this!”

How to Use ‘Should’ for Advice

It’s very simple to use ‘should’ in a sentence. The structure is always the same:
Subject + should + base verb
Let’s break it down:

• Subject: This is who you are talking about (I, you, he, she, it, we, they).
• should: This is our advice word!
• Base verb: This is the action word (like go, eat, sleep, study, ask). We use the base form of the verb – no -ing, no -ed, no -s!

Examples of ‘Should’ in Positive Sentences

Here are some examples of giving advice using ‘should’ in positive sentences. These are situations where you think someone doing something is a good idea.

• You should drink water when you are thirsty. (Subject: You, should, base verb: drink)
• He should eat vegetables to be healthy. (Subject: He, should, base verb: eat)
• They should study English every day. (Subject: They, should, base verb: study)
• We should ask for help if we don’t understand. (Subject: We, should, base verb: ask)
• I should go to bed early tonight. (Subject: I, should, base verb: go)
• She should call her mother. (Subject: She, should, base verb: call)

Notice that ‘should’ is the same for everyone – I, you, he, she, it, we, they. It makes it really easy to learn! This is basic English grammar that is very helpful for giving advice.

Examples of ‘Should’ in Negative Sentences

We can also use ‘should not‘ or ‘shouldn’t’ to give negative advice. This is when you think someone doing something is not a good idea.
The structure is:
Subject + should not / shouldn’t + base verb
‘Should not’ is more formal, and ‘shouldn’t’ is the short form, which is more common in spoken English.

• You should not eat too much sugar. / You shouldn’t eat too much sugar. (Subject: You, should not/shouldn’t, base verb: eat)
• He should not play video games all day. / He shouldn’t play video games all day. (Subject: He, should not/shouldn’t, base verb: play)
• They should not be late for class. / They shouldn’t be late for class. (Subject: They, should not/shouldn’t, base verb: be)
• We should not forget our homework. / We shouldn’t forget our homework. (Subject: We, should not/shouldn’t, base verb: forget)
• I should not stay up late tonight. / I shouldn’t stay up late tonight. (Subject: I, should not/shouldn’t, base verb: stay up)
• She should not shout in the library. / She shouldn’t shout in the library. (Subject: She, should not/shouldn’t, base verb: shout)

Using ‘should not’ or ‘shouldn’t’ is a great way to give advice about things that are not good to do. This is important English for beginners.

Using ‘Should’ to Ask for Advice

You can also use ‘should’ to ask for advice! To ask a question with ‘should’, we change the order a little bit.
Should + Subject + base verb?
Now ‘should’ comes at the beginning of the sentence.

• Should I buy this shirt? (Asking for advice about buying a shirt)
• Should we go to the park today? (Asking for advice about going to the park)
• Should he call the doctor? (Asking for advice about calling the doctor)
• Should she study more for the test? (Asking for advice about studying)
• Should they take the bus or the train? (Asking for advice about transport)
• Should I learn English online? (Asking for advice about learning English)

These are all questions asking for recommendations or suggestions. This is very useful for spoken English practice when you need help deciding what to do.

Let’s Practice!

Now it’s your turn to practice using ‘should’ for advice! Fill in the blanks with ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ and the base verb in parentheses.

1. It’s cold outside. You __________ (wear) a jacket.
2. You have a test tomorrow. You __________ (go) to bed late.
3. She wants to improve her English. She __________ (practice) speaking.
4. They are tired. They __________ (take) a break.
5. He is sick. He __________ (see) a doctor.
6. We want to be healthy. We __________ (eat) fruits and vegetables.
7. You __________ (drink) coffee before bed. It will keep you awake.
8. I __________ (call) my friend. It’s her birthday today.
9. They __________ (shout) in class. It’s not polite.
10. She __________ (listen) to music in English to improve her listening skills.

Answers

1. It’s cold outside. You should wear a jacket.
2. You have a test tomorrow. You shouldn’t go to bed late.
3. She wants to improve her English. She should practice speaking.
4. They are tired. They should take a break.
5. He is sick. He should see a doctor.
6. We want to be healthy. We should eat fruits and vegetables.
7. You shouldn’t drink coffee before bed. It will keep you awake.
8. I should call my friend. It’s her birthday today.
9. They shouldn’t shout in class. It’s not polite.
10. She should listen to music in English to improve her listening skills.

How did you do? Practicing with exercises like these helps you learn English grammar and how to use ‘should’ for giving advice in everyday conversations.

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