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Hi, this is Leo, from Wall Street English. Oftentimes, we find ourselves stuck in a situation because we have trouble making the right decision or we simply don’t know what to do. In times like these, it is best to seek advice and suggestions from others.
Today, we are going to look at some ways to ask for help.
1. Do you think it’s a good idea to…?
Here, you are expressing uncertainty about your own decision and would like a second opinion. For example, you are planning to buy your friend a new pen for his birthday, but you are not sure if this is a good idea. So, you can ask another friend “Do you think it’s a good idea to get Joe a pen?”
2. I could use your advice.
Although this is not a question, it reveals to the other person that you are in desperate need of help. For example, you have received two job offers and you have trouble choosing one of the two. You can call your friend and say: “John, I could really use your advice.”
3. I was wondering if you could give me some advice about…?
This is a more formal way to ask for help. Let’s imagine that you have just been given a difficult task at work and you’re unsure about the best approach. In this case, you can go to a reliable colleague and ask: “I was wondering if you could give me some advice?”
4. What would you do if you were me?
This is a more personal way of asking for advice. If you have a colleague at work who is extremely unpleasant to deal with, you can ask a friend “What would you do if you were me in this case?”
So, feel free to make use of one of these phrases in times of need.
That’s all for today, see you next time!
