Phrasal Verbs for Giving and Receiving Advice

Giving and receiving advice is a common part of everyday communication.

Whether you are talking to friends, students, colleagues, or family members, you often need to suggest, recommend, warn, or guide someone.

In natural English, native speakers frequently use phrasal verbs instead of long or formal expressions when giving advice.

In this lesson, you will learn useful phrasal verbs for giving and receiving advice, along with clear meanings and simple example sentences.

These phrasal verbs will help you sound more natural, polite, and confident in spoken English, especially in daily conversations, workplace discussions, and exams like IELTS Speaking.

What Are Phrasal Verbs?

Before we dive into specific phrasal verbs, let’s briefly talk about what they are. A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and one or two particles (such as a preposition or an adverb). The meaning of the phrasal verb is often different from the meaning of the individual words.

For example, the phrasal verb “give up” means to stop trying, which is very different from the meaning of the verb “give” or the preposition “up” on their own.

Now, let’s look at some useful phrasal verbs for giving and receiving advice.

Phrasal Verbs for Giving Advice

1. Point out When you point out something, you highlight it or make it clear. It’s often used when giving advice to make sure the listener notices an important detail.
   • Example: “I just wanted to point out that you should double-check the dates before booking your flight.”
2. Bring up To bring up something means to mention it. This is useful when introducing a topic or suggesting an idea in a conversation.
   • Example: “I didn’t want to bring up the issue, but you really should consider talking to your manager about it.”
3. Talk through This means to explain something in detail, usually so that someone can understand it better or make a decision.
   • Example: “Let me talk you through the steps to create a budget. It’s simple once you understand the process.”
4. Suggest (to) This one is straightforward. When you suggest something, you are offering an idea or solution for someone to think about.
   • Example: “I suggest you try taking a short walk every morning. It helps clear your mind.”
5. Give (someone) a tip A tip is a small piece of advice, often about something specific. Giving someone a tip means you’re offering a helpful suggestion.
   • Example: “Here’s a tip: when traveling abroad, always keep a photocopy of your passport with you.”
6. Warn (someone) about When you warn someone, you’re advising them to be careful or to avoid something bad. This is useful when you want to prevent a negative outcome.
   • Example: “I would warn you about buying a used car without checking its history. You might end up with more problems.”
7. Look out for This is another way of offering advice, but it’s more about being cautious and paying attention to possible dangers or issues.
   • Example: “Look out for signs of fatigue if you’re working long hours. Your health should come first.”

Phrasal Verbs for Receiving Advice

1. Take (someone’s) advice This is the most common way to describe following someone’s suggestion. When you take advice, you listen to what someone says and act on it.
   • Example: “I decided to take my doctor’s advice and start exercising more regularly.”
2. Listen to To listen to someone’s advice means to pay attention to what they are saying, even if you don’t immediately act on it.
   • Example: “You should really listen to your parents. They have a lot of experience.”
3. Go along with To go along with something means to agree with it or follow it. You might use this when you decide to accept someone’s suggestion or idea.
   • Example: “I wasn’t sure about moving to a new city, but I decided to go along with my friend’s suggestion.”
4. Follow (someone’s) advice This is similar to “take advice,” but it can also mean to continue to follow advice over time.
   • Example: “I followed my teacher’s advice and started studying a little every day instead of cramming.”
5. Get (someone’s) opinion When you get someone’s opinion, you’re asking for advice or feedback. It’s a way of gathering advice before making a decision.
   • Example: “I want to get your opinion on which job offer to accept. What do you think?”
6. Ask around Asking around means to ask different people for advice or opinions on something.
   • Example: “I’m not sure which phone to buy, so I’m going to ask around and see what others recommend.”
7. Check with To check with someone means to ask them for advice or confirmation before making a decision.
   • Example: “I’ll check with my boss before confirming the meeting time. I don’t want to make a mistake.”

Using Phrasal Verbs to Give and Receive Advice in Conversations

In everyday conversations, these phrasal verbs can help you sound more natural.

Let’s take a look at how they might be used in a dialogue:

Person A: “I’m thinking about quitting my job, but I’m not sure if it’s the right decision.”
Person B: “Have you talked it through with anyone? Maybe it’s a good idea to point out your concerns to your manager first.”
Person A: “I’m a little nervous about it.”
Person B: “I suggest you take a few days to think about it. You could also check with some colleagues to get their opinion.”

In this example, Person B uses several phrasal verbs like talk it through, point out, suggest, and check with to offer advice in a natural and friendly way. Notice how each phrasal verb helps to make the conversation feel more informal and conversational.

Why Are Phrasal Verbs Important for Giving and Receiving Advice?

Phrasal verbs make your English sound more like how native speakers speak. They are often used in daily conversations and can help you express your thoughts in a more relaxed, informal way. Whether you are giving advice or receiving it, using phrasal verbs can make your communication clearer and more engaging.

Conclusion

Phrasal verbs are a powerful tool for giving and receiving advice in English. By learning and using them, you can sound more natural and confident in your conversations. Remember, practice is key! Try using these phrasal verbs the next time you give or receive advice, and soon they’ll become second nature to you.

If you’re ready to dive deeper into phrasal verbs, start practicing with these examples, and you’ll be on your way to mastering them in no time. Happy learning!

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