← Horizons B2 B2 Arabic

4A Grammar

Health advice

Unit 4

I CAN give advice using modal verbs
I CAN read about common health issues

Grammar

10 cards

When we want to give advice in English, we use a group of special verbs called modal verbs. The most common ones for advice are should, ought to, had better, must and need to. They all sit in a similar place in the sentence — straight after the subject and before the main verb — but they carry very different weights. Choosing the right one is a matter of how strong your advice is, and how formal or urgent you want to sound.

Should is the safest, most general choice. It is polite, neutral and works in almost any situation. You should see a doctor. She shouldn't go to work today. We use it for mild, friendly advice and it is by far the most common option in everyday conversation. Native speakers choose should by default and only switch to a stronger modal when they really mean it.

Ought to has the same meaning as should but sounds a little more formal, and a little more like a moral duty. You ought to tell your parents. We do not use a to in the negative with should — the form is should not, often contracted to shouldn't — but with ought to we say ought not to. You ought not to drive when you're tired. In speech, ought to is often pronounced oughta /ˈɔːtə/, but in writing we keep the full form.

Had better is stronger and more urgent. It often carries a warning — if you do not do this, something bad will happen. You'd better take an umbrella, or you'll get wet. You'd better not tell anyone. We usually contract had to 'd in speech: You'd better sounds like you'd better. Had better is stronger than should and a little informal. It is perfect for advice between friends but too direct for a stranger.

Must is the strongest of all. It is for very serious advice, instructions from experts, or essential rules. You must take the whole course of antibiotics. You mustn't drink alcohol with this medicine. Using must with strangers can sound a little too direct, so save it for clear, important situations such as medical instructions or safety warnings.

Need to is different in flavour. It is less about advice and more about practical necessity. I need to take my tablets twice a day. You don't need to come in tomorrow. We use don't need to (not needn't) most often in modern British English, although needn't is still correct in formal writing.

Look at the position of the modal verb in the sentence. It comes after the subject and before the main verb, with no to and no -s: He should rest — not He shoulds rest or He should to rest. In questions we put the modal before the subject, with no do or does: Should I see a doctor? — not Do I should see a doctor?

Strength	Positive	Negative	Example
Mild (neutral)	should	shouldn't	You should drink more water.
Mild (formal)	ought to	ought not to	You ought to see a doctor.
Strong (warning)	had better	had better not	You'd better stay in bed.
Very strong	must	mustn't	You must finish the antibiotics.
Practical	need to	don't need to	I need to pick up my prescription.

في درس النهاردة هنتعلم إزاي ندي نصيحة صحية بالإنجليزي باستخدام أفعال مميزة اسمها modal verbs. الأفعال دي هي: should، ought to، had better، must، و need to. كل واحد فيهم ليه قوة مختلفة، واختيار المناسب بيعتمد على قد إيه النصيحة قوية ومحتاجة جدية.

Should ده الاختيار الآمن في أي موقف. بيبقى مهذب ومحايد، وبيتكوّن بعد الفاعل وقبل الفعل الأساسي من غير to ومن غير إضافة -s. مثلاً: You should see a doctor. ولما بنيجي للنفي بنقول shouldn't: You shouldn't go to work today. ده أكتر فعل بيستخدموه الإنجليز في الكلام العادي.

Ought to معناه زي should بالظبط، بس بيحسّس المستمع إنه فيه واجب أخلاقي شوية، وبيبقى أكثر رسمية. ولما بننفي بنقول ought not to زي: You ought not to drive when you're tired. في الكلام بيتلفظ oughta /ˈɔːtə/، بس في الكتابة بنحافظ على الصيغة الكاملة.

Had better أقوى وبيحمل تحذير، كأنك بتقول اعمل كده وإلا هيحصل حاجة وحشة. بيتنطق You'd better زي: You'd better stay in bed today. والنفي had better not: You'd better not tell anyone. ده بيناسب الأصحاب أكتر، وما ينفعش مع الغرباء لأنه بيبقى مباشر زيادة.

Must ده الأقوى على الإطلاق. بيتستخدم مع التعليمات الطبية المهمة زي: You must finish the antibiotics. والنفي mustn't: You mustn't drink alcohol with this medicine.

Need to مختلف شوية لأنه عن الضرورة العملية مش النصيحة. مثلاً: I need to take my tablets twice a day. في الإنجليزي البريطاني الحديث بنستخدم don't need to أكتر من needn't.

مكان الـ modal في الجملة: بيجي بعد الفاعل وقبل الفعل الأساسي مباشرة، من غير to ومن غير -s:

He should rest. (مش He shoulds rest ولا He should to rest)

الأسئلة: بنحط الـ modal قبل الفاعل من غير do أو does:

Should I see a doctor? (مش Do I should see a doctor?)

You should see a doctor if the headache gets worse.

Mild advice with should.

You'd better stay in bed today — you look terrible.

Strong, urgent advice with had better.

Required

Look at the two sentences above. What comes right after the subject in each one?

a main verb in the to-infinitive
a modal verb
the auxiliary do/does
a noun

Required

She ___ (drink) more water when she has a fever.

Required

Your friend has had a bad cough for two weeks. Which is the strongest advice?

You should see a doctor.
You might see a doctor.
You must see a doctor.
You could see a doctor.

Required

'You'd better not drive — you look tired.' This is mild, friendly advice.

Required

Put the words in the correct order to make a sentence with should.

should
You
rest
more

Required

Drag the correct modal verb into each sentence.

must
should
ought to
better

You drink plenty of water.

You finish the whole course of tablets.

You'd stay home today, or you'll get worse.

You see a doctor if it doesn't improve.

Required

Complete the negative form: 'You ___ (drive) when you feel dizzy.'

Listening

5 cards

In this listening task you will hear a short conversation between two friends, Emma and Tom, who meet at a coffee shop one morning. Tom is not feeling well, and Emma gives him some advice. Listen out for the modal verbs from the grammar section: should, had better, ought to and must. They will help you answer the questions that follow.

Before you listen, think about the situation. What might you say to a friend who looks tired and pale? What questions would you ask about their symptoms? Which pieces of advice would you give first — rest, fluids, a doctor, or something else? You are not expected to catch every word on the first listen. Listen once for the gist — the general meaning — and then again for specific information such as names, places or times.

While you listen, watch out for short, contracted forms such as haven't, shouldn't, you'd. In fast British English, had better is usually pronounced 'd better and sounds like d-better — the h disappears. Don't worry if you miss a word; the questions will guide you to the important information.

Key vocabulary in the dialogue: headache, paracetamol, prescription, appointment, gym, rest. You met these in the vocabulary section. A useful strategy is to listen first for the feeling words (how Tom feels) and then for the advice words (what Emma tells him to do). The advice is what the questions focus on.

Finally, remember that native speakers often answer questions like Have you seen a doctor? with just two or three words. No, I thought I should wait. The modal verb should here is not advice from the speaker but the speaker's earlier thought — be ready for that small change of meaning.

مشهد من الحياة اليومية

الحوار اللي جاي ده بين اتنين أصحاب، Emma و Tom، في كوفي شوب الصبح. Tom مش حاسس نفسه كويس، و Emma بتسأله وبتبدأ تديله نصايح. الحوار ده مثال طبيعي جداً على إزاي الناس في الحياة الحقيقية بتدّي نصيحة طبية بالإنجليزي.

الكلمات المهمة في الحوار

headache = صداع
paracetamol = بنادول أو أي مسكن للألم
appointment = مَوعد (مع الدكتور)
plenty of water = مَيّة كتير
get an early night = تَنام بُدري الليلة دي
get it checked out = تِتطمّن عليه / تِفحصه

القواعد: إزاي تَدّي نصيحة بالإنجليزي

في الحوار ده Emma بتستخدم تلات modal verbs مختلفة عشان تدّي نصيحة. كل واحدة ليها قوة مختلفة:

should – النصيحة العادية والودودة. اتلاحظ في الجملة "You should drink plenty of water and get an early night." معناها "لازم تشرب مَيّة كتير وتِنام بُدري". دي أنعم نوع.
had better – أقوى شوية وبتتقال إن فيه عواقب لو ماعملتش النصيحة. اتلاحظ في الجملة "You'd better make an appointment." النقطة المهمة: في الكلام السريع، الـ h بتختفي، فبتسمعها "d better" مش "had better". عشان كده لازم تتمرّن على الصوت مش بس الكتابة.
ought to – زي should بس formal أكتر. اتلاحظ في "You really ought to get it checked out." معناها "المفروض فعلاً تِتطمّن على الموضوع ده".

زمن الـ Present Perfect

لاحظ إن Tom بيستخدم الـ present perfect لما بيتكلم عن حاجة بدأت في الماضي ولسه موجودة دلوقتي:

"I've had a headache all day." – الصُداع بدأ الصبح ولسه موجود.
"Have you taken anything for it?" – Emma بتسأل عن حاجة حصلت قبل دلوقتي ومهمة دلوقتي.
"I had some paracetamol this morning." – هنا اتغير لـ past simple عشان قال وقت محدد (this morning).

نصايح للاستماع

أول مرة اسمع للـ gist – يعني الفكرة العامة. تاني مرة ركّز على النصايح نفسها. أهم حاجة متقلقش لو فاتتك كلمة؛ الأسئلة اللي بعدها هتوجّهك للمعلومة الصح.

Emma meets Tom at a coffee shop. Tom looks pale. Listen to their conversation.

E
Emma Hi Tom. You don't look very well. What's the matter?
T
Tom I've had a headache all day and I feel really tired.
E
Emma That's awful. Have you taken anything for it?
T
Tom I had some paracetamol this morning, but it hasn't really helped.
E
Emma You should drink plenty of water and get an early night. Have you seen a doctor?
T
Tom No, I thought I should wait and see if it gets better.
E
Emma You'd better make an appointment. You really ought to get it checked out.
T
Tom You're right, I think I will.
E
Emma And you must rest properly. Don't go to the gym tonight.
T
Tom Good idea. Thanks, Emma.

Required

Why does Emma think Tom should see a doctor?

Because he has a new job.
Because his headache has not gone away with paracetamol.
Because he doesn't like coffee.
Because he went to the gym yesterday.

Required

Tom has already taken paracetamol today.

Required

Emma says he ___ better make an appointment.

Pronunciation

6 cards

The sound at the centre of this lesson is the /ʃ/ sound — the quiet sh we use at the start of shoe, should and sure. It is one of the most frequent sounds in English, and it appears in many common health words: should, wash, finish, pressure, rash. Getting it right will make your English sound much smoother and more natural.

To make /ʃ/, round your lips forward into a small "o" shape, as if you are about to whistle. Lift the back of your tongue up towards the soft palate (the back of the roof of your mouth) and let the air flow through a narrow gap in the middle of your mouth. Voicing is off — the vocal cords do not vibrate. Hold a finger just in front of your lips: you should feel a steady, gentle stream of air, not a warm buzz. Compare it with /s/, which uses a similar tongue position but the lips are spread and the air is sharper; and with /tʃ/, the ch sound, which has a clear stop at the beginning before the air is released.

The most useful contrast for this lesson is /ʃ/ vs /tʃ/. They sound very similar — both use the round-lip shape — but /tʃ/ starts with a hard stop. The tongue touches the roof of the mouth briefly and then releases, almost like a quick /t/ before the /ʃ/. In should /ʃʊd/ the sound flows straight into the vowel. In chocolate /ˈtʃɒk(ə)lət/ you can hear the small t stop at the start. Try saying share and chair out loud. Can you feel the difference? In share the air starts moving immediately; in chair there is a tiny silence before the air moves.

The /ʃ/ sound also appears inside words and at the end. It is the sh in finish, presher (colloquial for pressure), wash, rash, brushed. At the end of a word, the /ʃ/ is held a little longer, as in fish or di**sh. Be careful not to add an extra vowel at the end: fish is one syllable, not two — it is /fɪʃ/, never /fɪʃə/.

Words to listen for in this lesson: should, sure, wash, finish, pressure, rash, share, social. Notice that in sure the /ʃ/ sound starts the word, just like in shoe and she. In should and wood the /ʊ/ vowel is short and rounded; do not stretch it into a long oo.

A common mistake is to pronounce should like shooed /ʃuːd/ (as in shoe + d). The vowel in should is short: /ʃʊd/. Keep it short and round, and you will sound more natural when you give advice.

Generating translation…

Round your lips, lift the back of your tongue, and let the air out without voice. That is /ʃ/. In should, keep the vowel short: /ʃʊd/, not /ʃuːd/.

Required

Listen carefully. Which word did you hear?

share
chair

Required

Say the word. Keep the vowel short and round: /ʃʊd/.

should

Required

Notice the /ʃ/ at the start of should. Say the whole sentence slowly, then again at a natural speed.

I think you should see a doctor.

Required

Two /ʃ/ sounds in this sentence — sure and wash. Say it clearly.

Make sure you wash your hands.

Reading

6 cards

Reading about health in English is a useful skill. You will find short health articles in newspapers, on the NHS website, in magazines and on the side of medicine boxes. They use a small number of common patterns — a short headline, a brief introduction and a few short paragraphs with practical advice. Once you know the patterns, these articles become much easier to read.

The strategy in this lesson is skimming. When you skim a text, you read it quickly to get the general idea. You do not stop for new words and you do not read every sentence carefully. You simply let your eyes run over the page, looking at the title, the first sentence of each paragraph, and the last sentence. After one quick skim you should be able to answer a What is this text mainly about? question. Only then do you go back and read more carefully for detail.

Below the article, you will read three questions. The first asks for the gist — the main idea. Read the first and last lines of the article to find it. The next two questions ask for specific detail. For these, read the relevant paragraph more slowly and look for the exact information. Underline or remember the key nouns (the names of illnesses, the numbers, the time periods) — these are usually the answers.

Pre-taught key words in this article:

illness (noun) — a disease or period of being sick
symptom (noun) — a sign of an illness, such as a fever or a cough
fluids (noun plural) — liquids you drink, especially water
warning sign (noun) — something that tells you a problem is serious
ignore (verb) — to pay no attention to something
chest (noun) — the front of the upper body, above the stomach

Read the article once quickly for the gist, then again more carefully for the detail questions.

خد عندك كورس إنجليزي وادخل تقرا مقال عن الصحة؟ المقال ده شكله بسيط، بس فيه استراتيجيات تخليك تفهمه بسرعة وتجاوب صح على كل الأسئلة. تعالى نشرحها خطوة بخطوة.

الفكرة الأساسية: الـ skimming

الـ skimming يعني إنك تقرا بسرعة عشان تمسك الفكرة العامة من غير ما تقف عند كل كلمة جديدة. زي لما بتبص على صفحة جريدة عشان تعرف الخبر بيقول إيه. الـ skimming مش زي الـ scanning — الـ scanning إنك بتدور على معلومة معينة في النص، زي رقم أو اسم مرض، لكن الـ skimming إنك بتعرف موضوع النص كله.

إزاي تعمل skim عملياً؟

بص على الـ title أو الـ headline الأول
اقرأ أول جملة في كل paragraph
اقرأ آخر جملة في كل paragraph
خلاص، ده كفيل إنك تفهم الموضوع العام من غير ما تقرا كل كلمة

هيكل المقال الصحي

المقالات الصحية القصيرة ليها شكل ثابت: headline بيلفت الانتباه، introduction قصيرة، وكمان شوية paragraphs كل واحد فيهم فيه نصيحة عملية.

الكلمات المهمة اللي هتقابلها

في 6 كلمات لازم تعرفها قبل ما تبدأ. مثلاً، لو قرأت الجملة دي: "Do not ignore chest pain." هتفهم إن ignore يعني تتجاهل، وchest هو صدرك. وfluids هي السوائل اللي بتشربها زي المية. وwarning sign هي العلامة اللي بتنبهك إن في مشكلة، وsymptom أي علامة للمرض زي الكحة أو الحمى، وillness هو المرض نفسه.

مثال يجمع الكلام كله: "If you ignore warning signs like chest pain or other flu symptoms, your illness may get worse." — معناها إن لو تجاهلت علامات تحذيرية زي ألم الصدر أو أعراض تانية، المرض ممكن يبقى أسوأ.

إزاي تجاوب على الأسئلة

السؤال الأول بيكون عن الـ gist، يعني الفكرة الرئيسية. تجاوب عليه بسهولة من الـ skim بتاعك. السؤالين اللي بعدهم عن specific details، يعني تفاصيل معينة. هنا ترجع تقرا الـ paragraph المطلوب ببطء وتدور على المعلومة، خصوصاً الأرقام أو أسماء الأمراض. نصيحة: استخدم قلمك وعلم على الكلمات المهمة.

يلا بقى، ابدأ اقرا المقال مرة أولى بسرعة، وبعدين ارجعله تاني مرة عشان تجاوب على الأسئلة.

As the days get colder, many of us catch common winter illnesses. The most frequent complaints are colds, sore throats, coughs, fevers and stomach bugs. Most of these clear up in a week or two, but some symptoms need a doctor's attention.

A high fever that lasts more than three days, a severe headache, difficulty breathing or chest pain are warning signs. If you experience any of these, you should see a doctor immediately. For milder symptoms, you ought to rest, drink fluids and stay warm. You'd better avoid going to work or school, or you might pass the illness on to other people. Most importantly, you mustn't ignore symptoms that get worse — your health always comes first.

إزاي تقرا الـ Reading Passage صح

قبل ما تنزل على النص، لازم تعرف إن الـ reading مش معناه إنك تقرا كل كلمة من الأول للآخر. في استراتيجيات كتير بتساعدك تفهم أسرع وبتركيز أعلى، خصوصاً في مستوى B2.

الاستراتيجيات التلاتة الأساسية

Skimming: إنك تمر على النص بسرعة عشان تاخد الفكرة العامة. ركز على أول جملة وآخر جملة في كل فقرة وبلاش تتعمق في التفاصيل.
Scanning: هنا بتدور على معلومة معينة، زي رقم أو اسم أو إشارة تحذيرية. زي ما بتدور على كلمة في قاموس بالظبط.
Reading for detail: هنا بتقرا بهدوء عشان تفهم كل حاجة، وتلاحظ الكلمات والقواعد المهمة.

الكلمات الطبية اللي في النص

النص فيه كلمات صحية أساسية لازم تعرفها:

cold = البرد العادي
sore throat = التهاب الحلق
cough = كحة
fever = سخونية
stomach bug = مشكلة في المعدة
symptom = عرض أو علامة المرض
clear up = تخف أو تبرأ (phrasal verb مهم)

الـ Modal Verbs بتاع النص

النص بيستخدم أربع modal verbs بنوايا مختلفة:

should: نصيحة عادية ومعتدلة، زي "you should see a doctor".
ought to: نفس should بس formal شوية، زي "you ought to rest".
had better: نصيحة قوية، معناها "الأحسن ليك"، زي "you'd better avoid going to work".
must not: ممنوع تماماً، زي "you must not ignore symptoms".

كل ما استخدمت modal أقوى، النصيحة بتكون أكتر إلحاحاً.

الجملة الشرطية

في النص هتلاقي: "If you experience any of these, you should see a doctor immediately". ده مثال على first conditional، يعني لو حصلت الحالة دي، اعمل كذا. الـ If clause في present simple، والـ main clause فيها modal.

Phrasal Verb مهم

pass the illness on = تنقل المرض لناس تانية. كلمة on هنا جزء أساسي من الـ phrasal verb.

خد وقتك في النص، واستخدم الاستراتيجيات دي واحدة واحدة.

Required

What is the main purpose of the article?

To describe the history of the NHS.
To explain how viruses are made.
To give practical advice about common winter illnesses.
To compare medicines from different countries.

Required

The article says a fever lasting more than three days needs a doctor's attention.

Required

The article recommends going to work if you have a mild cold.

Required

Which of these is NOT mentioned as a warning sign in the article?

Difficulty breathing
Chest pain
A severe headache
A stomach-ache

Lesson Review

2 cards

Quick review before you finish. In this lesson you learned eight health words: headache, fever, cough, sore throat, dizzy, prescription, recover, appointment. You practised the modal verbs for advice: should (mild), ought to (formal), had better (strong, warning), must (very strong) and need to (practical). You worked on the /ʃ/ sound and read about common winter illnesses. Well done — now read the I CAN statements below and tick the ones that are true for you.

مراجعة سريعة على درس "Health advice"

أحلى حاجة عملتها إنك وصلت للمراجعة دي! يلا نعملّك تلخيص بسيط للي اتعلمناه في الدرس عن النصايح الصحية.

الكلمات الصحية الأساسية

اتعلمنا ٨ كلمات مهمة بتستخدمها لما تكون تعبان أو بتروح لدكتور. خليني أوضحلك إزاي تستخدمها في جمل:

لما يكون عندك headache (صداع): "I've had a headache all day."
لما تكون عندك fever (سخونية): "She has a high fever."
لما عندك cough (كحة): "He's got a bad cough."
لما زورك بيوجعك sore throat: "My sore throat is getting worse."
لما تحس إنك dizzy (دايخ): "I feel dizzy when I stand up."
لما الدكتور يكتبلك prescription (روشتة): "I need to fill this prescription."
لما recover (تتعافى): "It took her a week to recover from the flu."
لما تاخد appointment (ميعاد): "I'd like to book an appointment."

المودالز بتاعت النصايح (وده أهم حاجة في الدرس)

اتعلمنا ٤ طرق مختلفة عشان نقدم نصيحة بالإجليزي، وكل واحدة ليها قوة مختلفة:

should — النصح العادي واللطيف. "You should drink more water." (لازم تشرب مية أكتر.)
ought to — زي should بس أكتر رسمية. "You ought to see a doctor." (من الأحسن تزور دكتور.)
had better — تحذير، يعني الأحسن تعمل كده عشان متحصلش حاجة وحشة. "You'd better stay home today." (الأحسن تفضل في البيت النهاردة.)
must — أقوى واحدة، معناها لازم مفيش اختيار تاني. "You must take this medicine." (لازم تاخد الدوا ده.)

وفيه كمان need to للنصيحة العملية اليومية: "I need to get more sleep." (محتاج أنام أكتر.)

النطق: صوت الـ /ʃ/

اشتغلنا على صوت الـ "sh" في كلمات زي should وsore وprescription. خلي بالك إن الـ sh في should والصوت ده في sore throat الاتنين نفس الحركة — شفايفك بتلف لقدام وإنت بتقولها. جرّب تقول الجملة دي ببطء: "You should see a doctor for your sore throat."

الأمراض الشائعة في الشتا

اتكلمنا كمان عن أمراض الشتا زي البرد والانفلونزا، وإزاي تاخد بالصح من نفسك لما الجو بيبقى بارد.

دلوقتي روح للـ review cards عشان تثبّت الكلمات والقواعد، وبعدين جرب الـ writing task عشان تكتب كلام من عندك بالإنجليزي.

Required

I CAN use words like *headache*, *fever*, *cough*, *sore throat*, *prescription*, *recover* and *appointment* to talk about health.
I CAN give advice using modal verbs (*should, ought to, had better, must, need to*).
I CAN pronounce the /ʃ/ sound correctly in words like *should*, *sure* and *wash*.
I CAN understand a short conversation about feeling unwell.
I CAN read a short article about common health issues and find the gist and key details.
I CAN give advice in a real conversation with a friend.

Speaking

6 cards

In the speaking section, you will practise giving advice in a real conversation. The model dialogue below shows two friends talking: Emma gives advice to Tom, who is feeling unwell. Notice the language they use. Emma opens with a soft suggestion, You should…, and then moves to a stronger warning, You'd better…. She finishes with a hard rule, You must…. This pattern — mild → strong → very strong — is natural in English. We do not usually start with must, because it can sound rude.

Useful phrases for giving advice:

You should see a doctor. — friendly, general advice.
You ought to rest for a couple of days. — slightly formal, a little more serious.
You'd better stay in bed. — strong, urgent, with a warning.
You must finish the course of tablets. — very strong, for essential rules.
Try drinking warm water with honey. — a soft, alternative suggestion.
Why don't you make an appointment? — an indirect way of giving advice.
Have you tried…? — a polite, friendly opener.
If I were you, I'd… — a common way to make advice sound personal and friendly.

When you record your answers, speak clearly and not too fast. Round your lips for the /ʃ/ sound in should and sure. Do not pronounce the h in had better — it sounds like /əd/. Try to keep the rhythm of English: stress the main words (you SHOULD SEE a DOCtor) and let the small words (you, a, to) move quickly.

In the roleplay at the end, you will talk to a friend who is not feeling well. Listen carefully to their problem, then give two or three pieces of advice. Start with should or why don't you, then add a stronger piece with had better or must. Keep your voice warm and friendly — strong modals sound much better in a kind tone.

الموضوع هنا إزاي تعطي حد نصيحة صحية أو طبية بالإنجليزي بشكل طبيعي، وإزاي تتحكم في درجة قوة النصيحة على حسب الموقف.

في الإنجليزي فيه كذا طريقة تعبّر بيها عن النصيحة، وكل طريقة ليها درجة شدة مختلفة. التلاتة الأساسيين هم:

should — دي النصيحة اللطيفة والودودة. بتقول مثلاً "You should see a doctor" أو "You should rest for a couple of days". مفيهاش ضغط خالص، ودايماً بنبدأ بيها لأنها ما بتبقاش قاسية.
had better — دي أقوى شوية، وبتحس فيها إن في تحذير خفيف. "You'd better stay home today" معناها إن لو ما عملتش كده ممكن يحصل حاجة مش حلوة.
must — دي أقوى واحدة وبنستخدمها للقواعد اللي ما ينفعش نكسرها. "You really must stop drinking coffee after four o'clock."

الترتيب الطبيعي في المحادثة هو should → had better → must، يعني بنبدأ خفيف، ولو الطرف التاني ما اتحركش بنقوى شوية. ما بنبدأش بـ must لأنها ممكن تبان قاسية أو حتى وقحة.

فيه كمان طرق تانية كويسة ممكن تستخدمها:

Why don't you…? — طريقة مهذبة وغير مباشرة.
Have you tried…? — بتفتح الموضوع بهدوء وبتشجعه يشارك.
If I were you, I'd… — بتخلّي النصيحة شخصية وودودة جداً.
Try + verb-ing — زي "Try drinking warm water with honey".

بالنسبة للنطق، خلي بالك من حاجتين: حرف الـ sh في كلمة "should" محتاج شفايفك تبقى مدورة شوية. وكلمة "had better" الحرف h فيها ما بينطقش، فبتسمعها تقريباً "əd better". وحاول تمشي على إيقاع الإنجليزي بإنك تضغط على الكلمات المهمة زي you SHOULD SEE a DOCtor وتسيب الكلمات الصغيرة تيجي بسرعة.

في الـ roleplay اللي جاي، هتتكلم مع صاحبك اللي مش حاسس بحالة كويسة. اسمعه كويس، وبعدين اديله نصيحتين أو تلاتة. ابدأ بـ should، وبعدين زوّد واحدة أقوى بـ had better أو must، وخلي صوتك دافي لأن النصيحة القوية بصوت لطيف بتوصل أحسن بكتير.

Listen to a short model conversation. Notice how Emma moves from mild to strong advice.

E
Emma You look exhausted. Are you OK?
T
Tom Not really. I've been sleeping badly all week.
E
Emma You should try going to bed at the same time every night.
T
Tom I know, but I can't switch off.
E
Emma You'd better put your phone away an hour before bed. And you really must stop drinking coffee after four o'clock.
T
Tom OK, I'll try. Thanks, Emma.

You should see a doctor if it gets worse.

A typical piece of mild, friendly advice with should.

Required

Record yourself. Speak clearly and at a natural speed.

You should rest for a couple of days.

Required

Strong, urgent advice. The /ʃ/ at the start of should is not in this sentence — but the /əd/ contraction in you'd is. Speak it like yuh-better.

You'd better stay home today.

Required

Your friend is tired and has a headache. Listen to their problem and give them advice. Try to use should, had better or ought to.

Vocabulary

6 cards

When we talk about our health, we use a small group of very common nouns and verbs to describe how we feel and what we do about it. In this lesson you will meet eight useful words and phrases for everyday health situations: talking to a doctor, describing symptoms, or giving advice to a friend. Most of these words are short, high-frequency items that you will hear again and again in real life — at the chemist's, on the phone when you book an appointment, or in a magazine article about staying well in winter.

Notice that several of these words go with specific verbs. We say have a headache, have a cough, have a sore throat and run a fever (or have a fever), not feel a headache or make a fever. We see or visit a doctor, and we make or book an appointment. A doctor gives or writes a prescription, and we pick up or collect the medicine from the pharmacy. The verb recover is more formal than get better: I hope you recover quickly sounds a little more careful than I hope you get better soon.

The word ache is worth a closer look. We combine it with body parts to make many common nouns: headache, backache, stomach-ache, toothache. In British English we often write stomach-ache with a hyphen and toothache as one word, but both forms are correct. The pronunciation changes too — the ch in headache is /k/ (a hard 'k' sound at the end), and in stomach-ache the ch is also /k/. In ache on its own the sound is the same: /eɪk/.

Some words in this lesson are also verbs. You can cough (verb) when you have a cough (noun). You can also dizzy someone by spinning them around, although in everyday English we more often use the adjective: I feel dizzy. Prescription is always a noun in everyday English — there is no verb form; we say the doctor prescribed something instead. Appointment is countable: I have an appointment (singular) or I have two appointments (plural). In British English we often say a doctor's appointment or a dental appointment to make the type clear.

Word	Part of speech	Arabic	Example
headache	noun	صُداع	I have a splitting headache.
fever	noun	حُمَّى	She's running a high fever.
cough	noun / verb	سُعال / يَسْعُل	He has a dry cough.
sore throat	noun	التهاب الحلق	My sore throat is getting worse.
dizzy	adjective	دَوار	I feel dizzy when I stand up.
prescription	noun	وَصفة طِبّية	The doctor gave me a prescription.
recover	verb	يَتَحَسَّن / يَشْفى	It took a week to recover from the flu.
appointment	noun	مَوْعِد	I've got a doctor's appointment at four.

الكلمات اللي قدامك دي كلها عن الصحة، وهتلاقيها في أي موقف بتتكلم فيه عن المرض أو الدكتور أو العلاج. هي كلمات بسيطة بس ليها collocations معينة لازم تحفظها كويس.

الأسماء اللي بتاخد "have"

في الإنجليزية مش بنقول "feel a headache" أو "make a fever"، لأ. عندنا تعبيرات ثابتة لازم تحفظها زي ما هي:

have a headache — تبقى عندك صداع
have a fever أو run a fever — يبقى عندك حمى (الاتنين صح)
have a cough — عندك كحة
have a sore throat — عندك التهاب في الحلق

الأفعال اللي بتيجي مع "appointment" و"prescription"

مع appointment (ميعاد) بنقول:

make an appointment أو book an appointment — تحجز ميعاد
see a doctor أو visit a doctor — تزور دكتور

مع prescription (روشتة) بنقول:

The doctor gave me a prescription أو wrote me a prescription

لاحظ إن prescription هي noun بس، مفيش فعل منها في الاستخدام اليومي. الفعل هو prescribe بمعنى "يوصف دوا".

الفرق بين "recover" و"get better"

recover معناها "يبرأ" أو "يتحسن"، بس هي أرسم شوية من get better. لما حد يقولك "I hope you recover quickly" ده كلام فيه شوية احترام وفيه طابع رسمي. لكن لو صاحبك بيقولك "I hope you get better soon" ده كلام يومي عادي. الاتنين صح، بس الفرق في الـ register.

نمط "-ache" والنطق

كلمة ache لوحدها معناها "وجع"، وبنضيفها على أعضاء الجسم:

headache — صداع
backache — وجع ضهر
stomach-ache — وجع بطن (في British English بنكتبها بـ hyphen)
toothache — وجع ضرس (بنكتبها كلمة واحدة)

مهم جداً في النطق: الحرف ch في كل الكلمات دي بيتنطق k صريحة، مش زي "تش". يعني headache بتنطقها "hed-eyk" بالكاف في الآخر. نفس الكلام في stomach-ache وtoothache.

كلمات ليها أكتر من استخدام

cough: noun (كحة) و verb (يكح) — "He has a dry cough" أو "He's coughing a lot"
dizzy: adjective بس — "I feel dizzy"، مش "I dizzy"

"Appointment" اسم معدود

Appointment اسم countable، بنقول an appointment (مفرد) أو two appointments (جمع). وفي الإنجليزية البريطانية بنضيف نوع الميعاد قبلها زي a doctor's appointment أو a dental appointment عشان نوضح إن الميعاد مع دكتور أو دكتور أسنان.

Eight key words for talking about health. Tap each one to hear it and see the meaning.

appointment əˈpɔɪntmənt
An arrangement to meet someone or visit a doctor, dentist, etc. at a particular time; or the act of choosing s
cough kɒf
Cough refers to the act of expelling air from the lungs with a sudden sharp sound, often as a reflex or due to
dizzy ˈdɪzi
Feeling that you are turning around or about to fall, often caused by illness, heat, or looking down from a hi
fever ˈfiːvə
A medical condition with high body temperature, usually caused by infection or illness.
headache ˈhedeɪk
A pain felt in the head, which can range from mild to severe.
prescription prɪˈskrɪpʃən
A written order from a doctor for medicine, or a document authorizing a patient to receive specific medication
recover rɪˈkʌvə
To become healthy again after being ill or injured; to get back something that was lost or stolen.
sore throat sɔː θrəʊt
A condition in which the throat feels painful, scratchy, or irritated, often due to infection or inflammation.