You Should Talk to Someone
Giving advice in English: should, shouldn't, ought to, Why don't you...?, and Have you tried...? The friends help each other with exam stress, a difficult client, and a broken coffee machine.
📖 Reading: Problems and Solutions
Every Sunday, Maya, Leo, Omar, and Priya meet for brunch. This Sunday, everyone seems to have a problem.
"I'm really stressed about my university exams," says Omar. "I can't sleep."
"You should try to sleep at the same time every night," says Priya. "And you ought to stop studying after 10 PM."
"Have you tried meditation?" asks Maya. "It really helps me when I'm anxious."
"Why don't you talk to your professor?" suggests Leo. "They might give you extra help."
"Good ideas," says Omar. "What about you, Maya? You seem worried too."
"I have a difficult client," sighs Maya. "They keep changing the brief and never give clear feedback."
"You should set clear boundaries," says Priya. "Send a formal email explaining your revision policy."
"Or why don't you arrange a video call?" says Leo. "Sometimes talking is better than emailing."
"I shouldn't just accept every change they ask for," Maya admits. "I need to be more assertive."
"Exactly!" says Leo. "And speaking of problems — the coffee machine at Café Colibri broke this morning."
"You ought to call the repair company immediately," says Omar.
"Already done!" laughs Leo. "That problem I solved before breakfast!"
🔑 Vocabulary Box
Eight key words from this lesson.
| Word | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| brief | A set of instructions given to someone about a project | n. — The client keeps changing the brief. |
| assertive | Confident in stating your needs and opinions firmly | adj. — Maya needs to be more assertive. |
| meditation | A mental exercise of focusing the mind for relaxation | n. — Have you tried meditation? |
| revision | The act of making changes to a piece of work | n. — She needs a clear revision policy. |
| boundary | A limit you set on what you will accept from others | n. — You should set clear boundaries. |
| anxious | Worried and nervous about something uncertain | adj. — Meditation helps when I'm anxious. |
| repair | To fix something that is broken; the act of fixing | n./v. — He called the repair company. |
| policy | A set of rules or principles for dealing with situations | n. — She needs a revision policy. |
📚 Key Verbs in This Lesson | |
should / shouldn't | You should rest. / You shouldn't study after 10 PM. |
ought to | You ought to call the repair company. |
Why don't you + verb? | Why don't you talk to your professor? |
Have you tried + -ing? | Have you tried meditation? |
📚 Grammar Focus
📚 Giving Advice | |
should + verb | You should sleep at the same time every night. |
shouldn't + verb | You shouldn't study after 10 PM. |
ought to + verb | You ought to call the repair company. |
Why don't you + verb? | Why don't you talk to your professor? |
Have you tried + -ing? | Have you tried meditation? |
If I were you, I'd... | If I were you, I'd set clear boundaries. |
Asking for and Responding to Advice
📚 Asking for and Responding to Advice | |
Asking for advice | What do you think I should do? / What would you do? |
Agreeing | That's a good idea. / You're right. / I'll try that. |
Partially agreeing | Maybe, but... / That could work, however... |
Disagreeing politely | I'm not sure about that. / That might not work for me. |
🎭 Dialogue: I Don't Know What to Do!
Leo helps Maya talk through a difficult client situation. They explore different ways to handle the revision problem.
Maya, you seem stressed. What's wrong?
My client keeps changing the design brief. I don't know what to do!
You should send a formal email about your revision policy.
I've thought about that. But I'm worried they'll get upset.
Why don't you arrange a call first? Explain it calmly.
That's a good idea. What would you do if you were me?
If I were you, I'd be more assertive. You shouldn't accept every change.
You're right. I'll try. Thanks, Leo!
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
What is Omar's problem?
What three pieces of advice does Omar receive?
What is Maya's problem with her client?
Practice Exercises
3 questionsNew exercises to reinforce what you learned. Different from the lesson material.
Omar can't sleep before exams. Pick the most natural advice:
Maya's client keeps changing the brief. Pick the most natural advice:
Leo stays up too late every night. Pick the most natural advice:
🎭 Now It's Your Turn — Role Play
Practice with a partner. Use the dialogue as a model.
- Student A: You have a problem — choose one: work stress / a difficult person / study problems / money worries.
- Student B: Listen and give 3 pieces of advice using different structures (e.g., should, Why don't you…?, Have you tried…?).
- Student A: Respond to each piece of advice — agree with one, partially agree with one, and politely disagree with one.
- Then swap problems and roles.