Conversational English - Asking for Advice - Part 1

Summary

In this video, Anne seeks advice from her friend Sarah on how to prepare for her family's visit. With little time to clean and no food in the fridge, Anne asks, 'What would you do if you were in my shoes?' Sarah suggests prioritizing cleaning the living room and ordering pizza. The video introduces two common ways to ask for advice in American English: 'What would you do if you were in my shoes?' and 'What would you do if you were me?' Viewers are encouraged to ask for advice and share their own problems in the comments.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video teaches how to ask for advice in American English.
• 😀 Two key expressions for asking advice are highlighted: 'What would you do if you were in my shoes?' and 'What would you do if you were me?'.
• 😀 'In my shoes' is used to ask someone to see a situation from your perspective.
• 😀 'What would you do if you were me?' is a simpler, direct way to request advice.
• 😀 The script demonstrates a real-life scenario of asking for advice about cleaning and preparing for a family visit.
• 😀 Sarah advises cleaning the living room first because it is where guests will spend most of their time.
• 😀 When lacking food, Sarah suggests ordering pizza instead of going to the grocery store due to time constraints.
• 😀 The video encourages viewers to use these expressions to solve their own problems by seeking advice.
• 😀 Practicing these expressions in conversation helps improve fluency in American English.
• 😀 The content is structured to show both the context of a conversation and practical usage of idiomatic expressions.
• 😀 Viewers are invited to engage by asking for advice in the comments, promoting interactive learning.

Q & A

What is the purpose of asking for advice in American English?

Asking for advice in American English helps you seek guidance from others to make decisions or solve problems. It can provide different perspectives and insights into how to handle a situation.

What is the meaning of the expression 'in my shoes'?

'In my shoes' is an expression used to ask someone to imagine themselves in your situation, so they can give advice based on your perspective.

Why does Anne need advice from Sarah?

Anne needs advice because her family is visiting soon, and her house is not clean, plus she doesn't have any food in her fridge to offer them.

What advice does Sarah give Anne about cleaning?

Sarah advises Anne to clean the living room first, as her family will likely spend most of their time in that room.

What solution does Sarah suggest for the food problem?

Sarah suggests that Anne order pizza because she doesn't have enough time to go to the grocery store before her family arrives.

What are the two ways to ask for advice mentioned in the video?

The two ways to ask for advice mentioned are: 'What would you do if you were in my shoes?' and 'What would you do if you were me?'

When should you use the question 'What would you do if you were in my shoes?'?

You should use 'What would you do if you were in my shoes?' when you want the other person to think about your situation from your perspective and give advice based on that.

Can you provide an example of how to use 'What would you do if you were me?'?

An example would be: 'I have class today, but I'm feeling sick. What would you do if you were me?' This asks the listener to give advice based on their own possible actions in the same situation.

How does Anne feel about the situation with her family visiting?

Anne feels stressed and unprepared because her house isn’t clean and she doesn’t have food ready for her family’s visit.

What does the conversation reveal about the importance of asking for advice?

The conversation shows that asking for advice can be helpful in managing difficult situations and can offer practical solutions to problems you might not know how to solve on your own.