🎯

Learning Objectives

2 minutes reading
✓
Use "should" and "ought to" to give professional advice
✓
Use "had better" for strong recommendations with consequences
✓
Soften advice with phrases like "I think you should..."
✓
Give feedback and troubleshooting advice professionally
💡
Key for this lesson

Should/Ought to = general advice. Had better = strong advice with implied warning. "You'd better leave now or you'll miss the train."

📚

Grammar Explanation

4 minutes reading
Should / Ought to

General Advice & Recommendations

Should + base verb / Ought to + base verb

Positive: "You should back up your files regularly."

Negative: "You shouldn't ignore customer complaints."

I thinkperhapsin my opinion
Had better

Strong Advice (Implied Warning)

Had better + base verb (contraction: 'd better)

Warning: "You'd better submit that report today (or there will be problems)."

Urgent: "We'd better leave now or we'll be late."

or elseotherwiseimmediately
🔑
Strength Scale

Should (gentle) → Ought to (slightly more formal) → Had better (strong, implies negative consequence)

🎯

Context & Professional Usage

5 minutes reading

Should / Ought to

💬Feedback: "You should include more data in your reports."
🛠️Troubleshooting: "You should try restarting the system."
📈Suggestions: "We should consider expanding to new markets."
🤝General advice: "You ought to speak to HR about that."

Had better (Urgency)

⏰Deadlines: "We'd better finish this today."
⚠️Warnings: "You'd better check the contract carefully."
🚨Problems: "We'd better inform the client immediately."
💡

Business English Examples

6 minutes reading
✓

Correct Professional Usage

✓
"You should update your CV before the interview."

General advice

✓
"I think you should discuss this with your manager."

Softened advice

✓
"You'd better send that apology email today."

Strong advice - urgency

✓
"We ought to review our strategy quarterly."

Formal recommendation

✗

Common Business Mistakes

✗
"You should to call the client."

Use: "You should call..." (no "to" after should)

✗
"You had better to finish this."

Use: "You'd better finish..." (no "to")

✗
"You better leave now."

Use: "You'd better leave..." (need "had/'d")

🎧

Professional Listening Exercise

6 minutes

Listen to a team leader giving feedback to a colleague:

🎵Audio: Performance Feedback
Ready
0:00 / 0:00
🔊
Speed:

Team Leader:

"Thanks for meeting with me, Alex. I wanted to discuss your project and give some feedback.

Overall, you're doing great work. But I think you should spend more time on the planning phase. Your reports are good, but you ought to include more supporting data.

Also, I noticed the client is waiting for a response. You'd better reply to their email today - they've been waiting for three days and they're getting frustrated.

For the presentation next week, you should practice your delivery. Perhaps you should ask Maria to help - she's excellent at presentations.

One more thing: you shouldn't work so late every night. It's not sustainable. You should delegate some tasks to the junior team members.

Oh, and we'd better schedule a follow-up meeting for next week to review progress. How does Thursday look for you?"

Question 1: What should Alex spend more time on?

Question 2: Why should Alex reply to the client's email urgently?

Question 3: Complete: "You _______ work so late every night."

🧠

Quick Comprehension Quiz

4 minutes
1

Gentle advice about updating a document:

AYou should update the document.
BYou'd better update the document.
CYou must update the document.
2

Urgent situation - the deadline is in one hour:

AYou should finish soon.
BYou'd better finish now.
CYou might finish soon.
3

Advising someone NOT to do something:

AYou don't should send that email.
BYou shouldn't send that email.
CYou mustn't to send that email.
✏️

Professional Practice Exercises

7 minutes

Exercise A: Choose should, shouldn't, or 'd better

1. The meeting starts in 5 minutes. You _______ go now. (urgent)

2. I think you _______ apply for that promotion. (advice)

3. You _______ interrupt the CEO during presentations. (advice against)

4. The client is angry. We _______ call them immediately. (strong)

🗣️

Speaking Preparation

4 minutes
📚
Preparation for Class

Practice giving professional advice and recommendations.

💬 Task 1: Giving Advice (1 min)

A colleague asks for advice on improving their presentation skills. Give 3 recommendations using should.

⚠️ Task 2: Urgent Situations (2 min)

Describe an urgent work situation and what someone had better do.

✨
Summary

Should: general advice
Ought to: formal recommendation
Had better: strong advice with warning

Next lesson →