Should and Shouldn't: Giving Advice in English
Use 'should' plus the base form of a verb to give advice or say what the right thing to do is: "You should see a doctor." The negative, 'shouldn't', advises against something: "We shouldn't be late." Like other modal verbs, 'should' never takes 'to' (not "should to rest") and never uses 'do' in questions. To ask for advice, just invert the subject and 'should': "Should I call him?"
Examples
- You should see a doctor. advising someone to see a doctor
- We shouldn't be late. advising against being late
- Should I call him? asking for advice
The full lesson
Everything in the video, in text.
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Your friend is sick, and you want to help. But say it wrong, and your advice sounds broken.
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In two minutes, you'll give advice in English perfectly. Let's master should and shouldn't.
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The rule is simple. Use should plus the base verb to give advice — to say what is the right thing to do.
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So if a friend feels ill, you say: You should see a doctor.
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There's no to, and no do — should is a modal verb. The same form works for everyone: I, you, he, she, we, they.
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To advise against something, just add n't. Shouldn't means it's not a good idea.
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Here's shouldn't in action, telling people what to avoid: We shouldn't be late.
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To ask for advice, don't use do. Just put should first — invert it.
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So you'd ask: Should I call him? No do, no to — just should at the front.
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Now the big trap. Never add to after should. It's You should rest — not should to rest.
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And in questions, never use do. Not Do I should go? — just Should I go?
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That's it. Should plus the base verb for advice, n't to advise against, and should first for questions.