modals of advice

Let's learn how to give advice!
English speakers use the modal verbs “should,” “ought to” and “had better” to express that they think something is a good (or a bad) idea. “Should” is the most common way to give advice. Look at these examples:

 

Affirmative Negative Question
A: I failed my test.
B: Really? You should study harder.
Young children shouldn't watch violent TV shows. I have a problem. Should I call my parents or my friend?
A: It's really cold outside.
B: You ought to wear a warm jacket.
(“ought to” is not usually used in the negative form) (“ought to” is not common in question form)
A: You had better slow down. You are driving too fast! You had better not forget to pay your tuition. If you do, the university will kick you out! (“had better” is not usually used in question form)

 

These examples have the same basic advice message, but “had better” is a bit stronger.
It includes the idea of a warning: something bad will happen if you do not follow my advice.

For example:
You had better not forget to pay your tuition. (If you forget, the university will kick you out.)
You had better do your homework. (If you do not do your homework, the teacher will give you a low mark.)

Note: You had better...” can be contracted to become “You'd
better
....”
Again, the modal verbs are followed by the simple form (hele werkwoord).

Note 2: Ought to is a modal verb and is followed by a simple verb.
The “to” is not an infinitive “to.”