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General English · Speaking · B1

Giving advice and suggestions

Explore a person's needs before recommending a realistic option.

Lesson 6 · About 22 minutes

Learn: your objectives

  • Clarify a constraint before advising.
  • Compare options without promising a result.

Warm-up

Think about these questions. Say a short answer aloud.

  • When can well-meant advice be unhelpful?
  • What would you ask someone who wants a new hobby?

Useful language

Advice that fits

Have you thought about …?

Offer an option for consideration.

Have you thought about joining a weekend group?

If I were in your position, I'd …

Present a personal recommendation, not an order.

If I were in your position, I'd try one session first.

It depends on …

Identify a condition that affects the choice.

It depends on how much time you have after work.

Notice: model speaking

Read aloud. Notice how the speakers use the phrases and respond to each other.

Iroda: I'd like to meet people, but I don't have much free time.

Paul: Are weekends easier than evenings?

Iroda: Yes, especially Sunday mornings.

Paul: Have you thought about a walking group? You could try one walk without joining every week.

Iroda: I'm not very fit.

Paul: Then I'd ask about the distance first. A short local walk might suit you better than a full-day trip.

Speaking strategy

Ask one clarifying question, offer an option and explain how it fits the person's constraint. Leave the final decision with them.

Pronunciation & fluency focus

Group the conditional opening together: ‘If I were in your position, / I'd try one session.’ Pause before the actual recommendation so it is easy to hear.

Teaching guidance, not an analysis of your voice.

Use: controlled practice

Choose a useful response for each situation. Check when all questions are answered. These are phrase exercises, not a speaking assessment.

1. A friend wants a hobby but has limited time. What should you clarify first?
2. Offer an option without presenting it as compulsory.
3. Your suggestion costs more than the person's budget. Adapt it.
4. Which advice avoids guaranteeing success?
5. End advice by checking its usefulness.

Build your answer

Write a few keywords. Then look away and speak. Notes stay on this page only.

Speak: your challenge

Give 90 seconds of advice to an imagined friend who wants to improve a skill but has little free time. Ask a clarifying question, compare two options and make a conditional recommendation.

Keep the recommendation realistic and avoid promising a particular learning result.

Speak aloud. This page does not record, listen to or assess your speech. There is no automatic speaking score.

Self-check

Open to everyone. Answers, notes and checklists are not saved to an account. These original lessons use level labels to organize learning; completion is not official CEFR certification or proof of a level.