What's theProblem?
Describing problems · should / ought to / had better for advice
Your level · You are here
Get Talking · Section 1
5 minStart the conversation
Think of ONE small problem you had last week. Describe it in one sentence.
What's the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?
What's the difference between 'You should call her' and 'You must call her'?
Grammar · Section 2
8–10 minshould · ought to · had better — three flavours of advice
- SHOULD is the everyday advice modal — friendly, neutral: 'You should drink more water.' OUGHT TO is slightly more formal / moral: 'You ought to apologise.' HAD BETTER ('d better) is STRONGER — it implies a bad consequence if ignored: 'You'd better leave now or you'll miss the train.' All three are followed by the bare infinitive.
- Negative: shouldn't / ought not to / had better not.
You should talk to your manager about it.
We ought to leave by eight at the latest.
You'd better not be late — she hates that.
You shouldn't ignore the warning light.
Question 1.Which is the STRONGEST advice (warning of bad consequence)?
Question 2.Choose the correct form: 'You ____ drink more water.'
Question 3.Negative of 'You'd better leave':
Question 4.Which is the most FORMAL?
Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.
1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
4.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.
Quick check 1.Which is WRONG?
Vocabulary · Section 3
5–7 minWords & phrases to learn
have a problem with
be experiencing difficulty with something
In context
"I'm having a problem with my Wi-Fi this morning."
Now try it yourself
What's something you often have a problem with?
deal with / sort out
handle and resolve a problem
In context
"I'll sort it out before lunch — don't worry."
Now try it yourself
Are you a 'deal with it now' or 'leave it till later' person?
the thing is…
phrase to introduce the real problem
In context
"The thing is, I already promised her I'd come."
Now try it yourself
Use 'the thing is' to start a fake confession.
it's not the end of the world
it's not a serious problem
In context
"Relax — it's not the end of the world."
Now try it yourself
Tell a partner: 'It's not the end of the world if…'
go wrong
stop working / become a problem
In context
"Everything went wrong on the morning of the wedding."
Now try it yourself
Describe a day when everything went wrong.
fix / solve
fix = a thing, solve = a problem/puzzle
In context
"He fixed the printer; she solved the bigger problem."
Now try it yourself
Last thing you fixed? Last thing you solved?
stuck
unable to move forward / progress
In context
"I'm stuck on question 4 — any ideas?"
Now try it yourself
What are you stuck on at the moment?
tricky
complicated, needs care
In context
"It's a tricky situation — there's no perfect answer."
Now try it yourself
Describe a tricky situation at work or home.
Pick at least three words from above and use each one in a sentence about your real life. Say each one aloud before you write.
Ask your teacher (or a partner) a question that uses one of today's words. They reply using a different word.
Rank today's words from most to least useful for you this week. Defend your top choice.
Finish: "Honestly, I'd say…" using one of today's words.
Tip: aim to reuse at least two of these words later in the Speaking and Writing tasks.
Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3–4 minContraction & weak forms in 'you should' and 'you'd better'
Native speakers reduce 'should' to /ʃəd/ and 'you'd better' to /jʊdˈbetə/ (one breath). The stress is on the main verb, not the modal: 'You should TALK to him' — not 'YOU SHOULD talk to him.' Practise the smooth, unstressed modal.
- • You ʃəd TALK to her.
- • You ʃəd-n't WORRY about it.
- • You'd better LEAVE now.
- • You ought tə CALL him back.
Reading · Section 5
8–10 minThe 'two-minute rule' for problems
Productivity coach David Allen has a famous rule: if a problem can be solved in two minutes or less, you should do it now. Don't write it down, don't add it to a list, don't think about it again — just sort it out. The reasoning is simple: the mental energy you spend remembering, worrying about, and re-prioritising the problem is greater than the energy needed to fix it.
The trickier category is the 'five-to-fifteen-minute' problem. These are the ones we tend to avoid — a slightly awkward email, a small dispute with a colleague, a phone call we've been putting off. Allen's advice here is firmer: you'd better deal with them today, because tomorrow they'll have grown. Most stress, he argues, doesn't come from genuinely big problems. It comes from a long tail of small ones that we never quite get round to fixing.
Question 1.What should you do with a problem that takes less than 2 minutes?
Question 2.According to Allen, where does most stress come from?
Q1.Allen says you should write down even tiny 2-minute problems.
Q2.Five-to-fifteen-minute problems get worse if you delay them.
Listening · Section 6
8–10 minA flatmate and a friend troubleshoot a bad morning
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.
Show transcript
Maya:You look stressed. What's wrong?
Tom:Everything's gone wrong this morning. The boiler's broken, my laptop won't start, and I think I've lost my wallet.
Maya:Okay, okay — breathe. The thing is, none of those are the end of the world. Let's deal with them one at a time.
Tom:You're right. I'm just stuck — I don't know what to do first.
Maya:You should call the landlord about the boiler before he leaves for work. He won't pick up after nine.
Tom:Good point. I'd better call him right now then.
Maya:And for the wallet — you really ought to retrace your steps. Where were you last night?
Tom:The café on the corner, and then the supermarket.
Maya:Right, so you should ring the café first. People hand wallets in there all the time.
Tom:And the laptop?
Maya:That's a trickier one. But honestly, you'd better not try to fix it yourself — last time you 'fixed' your phone, you broke the screen.
Question 1.What three problems does Tom have?
Question 2.Why does Maya say Tom shouldn't fix the laptop himself?
Exam tip · Section 7
5 minSpeaking — describing a problem and asking for advice in 45 seconds
Task
Describe a real or invented problem and end by asking your partner for advice. Use 1 problem phrase + 1 reassurance phrase.
Strategy
OPEN with the situation ('So the thing is…'). NAME the problem clearly. ADD how it makes you feel ('I'm a bit stuck' / 'It's a tricky one'). FINISH by inviting advice ('What would you do?' / 'Should I…?'). Don't over-explain — keep it tight.
Example
Okay, so the thing is, my best friend asked me to be the best man at his wedding, and I've just realised the date clashes with my sister's graduation. I'm a bit stuck — I obviously want to be there for him, but my sister's worked for this for four years. It's a tricky one. What do you think I should do — talk to him first, or my sister?
Practice · Section 8
8–10 minFill in the blank
Question 1.You ____ talk to your manager about it.
Question 2.You ____ leave now or you'll miss the train.
Question 3.The ____ is, I already said yes.
Question 4.Relax — it's not the ____ of the world.
Question 5.I'm a bit ____ on this question.
There isn't one "right" answer — write a natural version, then compare with the model.
Q1.Give STRONG advice with 'had better'.
Q2.Give NEUTRAL advice with 'should'.
Q3.Start a problem with 'the thing is'.
Q4.Reassure someone using 'end of the world'.
Writing · Section 9
5 minPut it in writing
Your task
Write a 70–90 word message to a friend describing a problem you're having and asking for advice. Use 1 problem phrase + 1 'should/ought/had better' form.
Your answer
Your work saves automatically0 words
Show model answer
Hey — quick one. The thing is, I've been offered a new job, but it means moving cities and my partner isn't keen. The money is better, the team sounds great, and honestly I think I'd love the role. But I'm a bit stuck because we just signed a year-long flat contract here. I think I ought to talk to my partner properly this weekend before I reply. Have you ever had to make a decision like this? What would you do?
Speaking · Section 10
10–15 minMake it a real conversation
Pairs: 'Agony Aunt'. Round 1 — Student A presents a small problem, Student B gives advice with 'should'. Round 2 — bigger problem, advice with 'ought to'. Round 3 — urgent problem, advice with 'had better'. Swap roles each round.
Useful phrases
- • The thing is…
- • I'm a bit stuck because…
- • If I were you, I'd…
- • You should / ought to / 'd better…
- • It's not the end of the world.
Speaking reflection & notes
Your work saves automatically0 words
- AI've got a job interview tomorrow and I haven't prepared at all.
- B_______________
- AI've fallen out with my best friend over something stupid.
- B_______________
- AMy laptop's making a weird noise.
- B_______________
Homework · Section 11
Take-homeTake it home
Record a 45-second 'agony aunt' reply to a friend's problem using all three advice modals.
Write 5 'You should…', 5 'You ought to…', and 5 'You'd better…' sentences from real life.
Listen to one episode of a British advice podcast (e.g. Dear Therapists) and note 5 advice phrases.
Homework notes
Your work saves automatically0 words
Recap · Section 12
2–3 minWhat you've learned
- SHOULD = neutral · OUGHT TO = slightly more formal · HAD BETTER = strong, with consequence.
- All three + bare infinitive (no 'to' after should/had better).
- Open a problem with 'The thing is…'
- Reassure with 'It's not the end of the world.'
- FIX a thing · SOLVE a problem.