Step 27: At the Doctor's
Health — Body and health; should for advice
📖 Read — Ethan Feels Sick
Today Ethan feels under the weather. He has a headache and a sore throat, and he can't sleep. His mother says, “You should see Dr. Parker.”
At the doctor's office, Dr. Parker listens and smiles. “It's a cold, Ethan. You should rest and drink a lot of water. You shouldn't go to school tomorrow, and you shouldn't play soccer this week.” Ethan nods. “And you should take this medicine after lunch.” One week later, Ethan feels great again!
🧩 Grammar — Should — Giving Advice
Use should + verb to give advice (it is a good idea): You should rest. Use shouldn't for bad ideas: You shouldn't go to school. Should never changes, and the verb after it has no 'to' and no -s.
- You should drink a lot of water.
- He shouldn't play soccer this week.
- You should see a doctor.
- Should I take this medicine? — Yes, you should.
🏗️ Key structures
- I have a ___ (headache / cold / fever) — I have a headache and a sore throat.
- You should ___ — You should rest today.
- You shouldn't ___ — You shouldn't eat a lot of sugar.
⭐ Idiom & natural phrases
I'm feeling under the weather today, so I'm staying home.
🔤 New words
pain in your head
I have a headache.
pain in your throat when you talk or eat
She has a sore throat.
when your body is too hot because you are sick
The baby has a fever.
the sound you make when air comes out of your throat fast
He has a bad cough.
something you take to feel better when you are sick
Take this medicine after lunch.
stop working and relax so your body gets better
You should rest this weekend.
well; not sick; good for your body
Fruit is healthy food.
pain in a tooth
He has a toothache, so he's going to the dentist.
🎧 Say it with me
I feel under the weather. I have a headache, so I should rest, and I shouldn’t go out today.
🎤 Your turn to speak
A friend has a cold. Give him 3 pieces of advice with should and 1 with shouldn't.
Say it out loud three times. Even better: record it on your phone and listen — your ear is your best teacher.
✍️ Your turn to write
Write 4 sentences of advice for a healthy life. Use should and shouldn't.
See a model answer
You should sleep eight hours every night. You should eat fruit and vegetables. You shouldn't drink a lot of soda. And you should walk every day.
Self-check: capital letters? Full stops? Did you use the grammar of this step?
📝 Quick check
Go deeper
This step is a doorway — the full lesson goes much further:
Modal Verbs: can / could / should / may / might / must — full lesson + 50-question quiz
🎉 Saved in your progress!