Modal Advice

Modal Verbs Use:

We use Modal verbs to express: Abilities, Requests, Advice, Offers, Deductions, Commands, and Probabilities. The same modal verb can have different meanings: i.e. 
Can I borrow your CD?            Request         
I can speak Spanish well!       Ability
These verbs are often called  modal auxiliary verbs, because they don’t need an auxiliary to form a negative or interrogative phrase.
ex: I Can’t speak Spanish well. not  I do not can speak Spanish well.
Modal verbs can be can be formed in the past, present or future: the forms may change accordingly:
These modals are used for giving advice or a suggestion, the most commonly modal verb is Should, Ought to can be considered to be a little stronger, whilst Had better is more formal and  also quite strong in meaning and may imply that if the advice isn’t followed there may be a consequence of sorts.
ex: I can ski very well   (Present)
      I could ski very well  (Past)
      I will be able to ski very well (Future)

Note Important! Modal verbs never go with to and no  s  in the third person.
In this section we are going to look at the modal verbs that are used to give advice:

 

Form: Subject + Should + Base Verb

Should

Ought to

Had better

 

Affirmative form

Long formsContracted forms
You should play the guitar more often.
not possible
He Ought to phone Maria.
They Had better cover the bikes,it’s going to rain.*  (They’d better) contracted form.

Negative form

 
Long formsContracted forms

We should not play cricket tomorrow.     

We shouldn’t play cricket tomorrow.
You ought not go to the gym. * (not commonly used)
You oughtn’t go to the gym.
You Had better not go out without a jacket.
You‘d better not go out without a jacket.
 

Interrogative form

 
Long formsContracted forms
Should I go to the party?     not possible
Ought he phone Maria? * (not commonly used)
Had I better send this Email ?