Strong and Weak Medical Advice

Strong and weak medical advice speaking

 

Strong and weak medical advice discuss and agree

Choose a medical problem like one of those on the next page and tell your partner which you selected. Your partner should give advice on solving that issue, making sure that they use suitable strong or weak language to match how sure they are, how important the problem is, etc. Say if you agree with their advice (including how strong or weak it is), discuss more if you like, and write down any statement that you can both agree on. Then take turns doing the same until your teacher stops you, only writing things that you both agree on. Your teacher will tell you if/ when you can use the last page below to help.

Useful language for discussing the situations and advice “That’s exactly what I would say” “(I basically agree but) I would go further and say/ I wouldn’t go so far, I would say…” “Do you think so? I think…”

 

Discuss some advice that you both agreed on as a class, then ask about any language you don’t understand, situations you can’t think of advice for, etc.

 

Brainstorming stage

First of all without any help, brainstorm ways of giving strong and weak positive and negative advice, in order from the most positive top to the most negative bottom, with weak advice at the bottom.  

Strong positive advice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Strong negative advice

 

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Use these mixed answers to help, then check with the last page below.

you could/ don’t have to                                          you must                                        you mustn’t

you probably shouldn’t                              you really must               you really mustn’t

you really should                                                      you really shouldn’t                      you should/ ought to

you shouldn’t

 

Strong and weak medical advice guessing game

Change partners. Give (positive and negative) advice on one of the situations below without saying which one it is, continuing until your partner guesses the situation. Discuss if they agree with your advice or not, then do the same with their choice of situation. Continue taking turns giving advice hints and guessing until your teacher stops you.

Situations to give strong and weak advice on

• During flu season
• For a hangover
• For bad breath
• For constipation
• For long life
• For problems with your ears
• For tiredness
• For toothache
• For your bones
• For your heart
• For your skin
• If someone in your house has…
• If you are depressed
• If you are fat/ obese
• If you are getting old
• If you are going bald/ losing your hair
• If you are stressed
• If you burn yourself
• If you don’t want to catch…
• If you get hay fever
• If you have a cold
• If you have a cough
• If you have a desk job
• If you have a fever
• If you have a headache
• If you have a sore throat
• If you have aching…
• If you have allergies
• If you have backache/ If you have lower back pain
• If you have broken a bone
• If you have chest pains
• If you have insomnia
• If you have lost your appetite
• If you have muscle pain
• If you have stiff shoulders
• If you have sunburn
• If you have twisted your ankle
• If you often feel tired
• If you often sneeze
• If you snore
• If you want big muscles
• If your … is bleeding
• If your … hurts/ If your … is painful
• If your stomach hurts
• When you play rugby

 

Suggested strong and weak medical advice sentences

you really must you must you really should you should/ ought to you could/ don’t have to you probably shouldn’t you shouldn’t you really shouldn’t you mustn’t you really mustn’t

avoid… bandage… carry on… clean/ wash cover it with… cut/ reduce/ limit… do exercise do stretches drink alcohol drink milk drink… get a massage go on a diet go to a drugstore go to ER/ to… have an injection have an operation hold/ squeeze… increase… jog lie down lie on the floor listen to music put something cold on… rest (…) rub… see the doctor sit down stay in bed stay still/ don’t move (…) suck cough sweets take medicine take painkillers take vitamins use a cream/ ointment wear a mask

(because…)