Step 33: Good Advice

📖 Read — Emma Has a Problem

Emma looks worried. She has a big exam tomorrow, and she also argued with her best friend today. She goes to Sophia for advice. “What should I do?” she asks.

Sophia thinks. “You ought to study for one hour, then sleep early. And you'd better call your friend tonight and say sorry. You'd better not wait — good friends are important.” Emma smiles. “You're right. I'll sleep on it… no wait, I'll call her now!”

🔊 Listen to the text

🧩 Grammar — Ought To and Had Better

You know should (Step 27). Ought to means the same: You ought to study. (always with 'to'). Had better is STRONGER — advice with a warning: You'd better call her tonight (or something bad may happen). After had better, use the base verb with NO 'to': You'd better not wait.

• You ought to sleep early tonight.
• You'd better study for the exam.
• You'd better not be late again.
• Should I call her? — Yes, you'd better call her now.

🏗️ Key structures

• You ought to ___ — You ought to drink more water.
• You'd better ___ — You'd better leave now — the bus is coming.
• You'd better not ___ — You'd better not forget her birthday.

⭐ Idiom & natural phrases

🔤 New words

🎧 Say it with me

You ought to sleep early tonight, and you’d better call your friend now. You’d better not wait!

🔊 Listen & repeat

🎤 Your turn to speak

Give a worried friend three pieces of advice: one with ought to, one with you'd better, and one with you'd better not.

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 student before an exam. Use ought to, you'd better, and you'd better not.

Self-check: capital letters? Full stops? Did you use the grammar of this step?

📝 Quick check