Lesson 15 Giving advice/making suggestions

Most of the topics you may be asked to give advice about are well-known to students. For
example, most of the students reading the magazine will already know everything there is to
know about healthy eating. The key is to find a light-hearted approach to the topic, as this
will make a more interesting and more readable article. Possible topics include:

· How to study for exams

· The benefits of sport

· The benefits of healthy eating

· The dangers of watching too much TV

· How to improve the school

· The benefits of discipline at school

· The benefits of the school uniform

Let’s look at a question from a past exam paper.

Write an article for your school magazine giving advice and suggestions on the way to revise
for exams.

· Begin with an introduction suitable for a school magazine article but without a clear
explanation of the topic (to get the reader’s attention).

· Write a transition sentence or two to prepare the reader for what is to come.

· The two or three serious paragraphs should include advice phrases and include the kind
of support you would put in a friendly letter. Try to include we, for personalising, and
perhaps refer to teachers, other students or relevant incidents which may add humour.

· The ending should return to the school magazine article style.

Using the information above, write the article.

_________________________________________________________________________

A Basic Plan

INTRODUCTION

It was /lovely/great/ to get your letter/to hear from you ....yesterday/this morning/a few
minutes ago,..... but
..... I was / am / sorry to hear you’re .....

....having trouble with / worried about / unhappy with/ about/ .... your school work/ being
overweight/ not being fit / bullies.

It was lovely to hear from you this morning, but I was sorry to hear you’re worried about your
school work.

Now reassure your friend and at the same time confirm your friendship by personalising.

Don’t worry / Try not to worry about it. I know /how you feel/ what you’re going through / what
it’s like / because ...

Examples

It was lovely to hear from you this morning, but I was sorry to hear you’re worried about your
schoolwork. Don’t worry. I know what it’s like because I’ve been in the same boat/ I was in
the same boat/last year / term/ when I moved here/ when I started at this school.

It was great to get your letter yesterday, but I’m sorry you’re worried about being overweight.
Try not to worry about it. I know how you feel because I was in the same boat last term.

Body of the letter

Next paragraph......

I know ....how much your love /....how addicted you are to .../....how much you hate exercise
../..what a potato couch you are! ...chocolate / junk food.

Or

I know you’re exactly the world’s ..../ most energetic /....sportiest / ...healthiest / ..person.

Advice phrases

You could .... / you really should ...../ you really ought to .../ Why don’t you ......?

How about .../ What about .... / Have you thought of ../ + verb + -ing / + noun

If I were you, I’d ..... / I should .....if I were you

The best thing you can do is .....

It would be a good idea if you + past tense

Try / Remember / Don’t forget / to

Whatever happens,/ Whatever you do / try ....remember ../ don’t forget .../ to.......
Keep it simple

1. Advice phrase + eat the right things

Give up (= stop completely)

Cut out (= stop completely)

Cut down on (= reduce) ........... junk food / fast food

If I were you, I’d cut down on junk food.

Whatever happens, try to cut out chocolate.

Why don’t you give up fast food?

It would be a good idea if you ate the right things

2. Advice phrase + take up a sport/tennis

do some sport

do some exercise

Have you thought of taking up tennis?

Why don’t you do some sport?

It would be a good idea if you did some exercise.

3. Advice phrase + take it /easy / gently ...at first

don’t over do it

warm up

do some warm-up exercises

You ought to do some warm-up exercises.

Whatever happens, don’t forget to take it easy at first.

Whatever you do, don’t over do it.

Give a reason

Advice phrase +idea + support

Have you thought of /+noun /+ verb +ing It’ll /help /make/ you

I know you’re not the world’s most energetic person, have you thought of taking up walking?
I’ll make you feel better.

The support phrases should also be simple

I’ll .../ help you feel better/make you feel better/ do you good/ be good for you.

It’ll help you / lose weight / keep fit / keep in shape

It’ll give you more energy.

It’ll help you / get rid of that spare tyre of yours / tone up those flabby muscles

It’ll help you meet people with the same interests as you.

It’ll be a good way to get to know people.

Why don’t you join a sports club? It’ll tone up those flabby muscles of yours and be a good
way to get to know people too.

What about taking up tennis? It’ll do you good and help you keep in shape at the same time.

Conclusion

Be positive and optimistic

Joining a sports club/ Cutting down on junk food ......

....worked for / me /my sister/ my brother / my friend, ..so .....

....I’ll sure it’ll / it’s bound to / I know it’ll / of course it’ll/ why shouldn’t it ....

.....work for you, too!

Do write and let me know how / get on / things go / it goes.

Exercises
Identify the good points and the problems in the following introductions to advice
letters.

· Write your assessments and conclusions in your notebook!

“I’m sorry I haven’t written for so long, but I’ve busy studying and haven’t had the
time. Anyway, I thought I would drop you a line to give you some ideas on how to lose
weight.”
I’ve been meaning to write for ages, but I’m afraid I’ve just haven’t got round to it. It
was lovely to get your letter yesterday. I thought I would drop you a line to help you
organise your studying hours, as you asked me in your last letter.”
 “How are you? I hope you’re feeling better. I thought I would drop you a line to cheer
you up, because I have been in the same boat before.”
“How are you? It was lovely to get your letter this morning, but I was sorry to hear
that you’re having problems with your English. Don’t worry! I’ve been in the same boat as
you last year.”

· Use a selection of the phrases studied to write the introduction to an advice letter
to a friend who is being bullied.

· Identify the good points and the problems in the following sentences from advice
letters.
You should also try to concentrate more during school hours. Another helpful piece of
advice is to try to look over your past exams, find your mistakes and correct them.
I think you should make new friends and you should also get to know other people
because, as you know, it is very difficult for someone to live on their own. I think you
should also try to do sport, as this would give you the chance to get together with people
who have the same interests as you.
You can invite students from school to one of your parties, and I’m sure they will love
it. The best thing you can do is to spend two or three weekends with them and they may
take you to new places.

· Use a selection of the phrases studied to write the body of a letter of

advice to a friend who has moved to a new area and is feeling lonely.
· Use a selection of the phrases studied to write the conclusion for an
advice letter.