B12. Lifestyle choices

should / shouldn’t

Natasha Marshal went to her doctor for some advice.
   ‘Doctor, I’ve read that by making the right health choices for diet and life style, people can live for longer. What should I do to live long and healthily? Can you give me some suggestions?’
   ‘Certainly, Miss Marshal!’ replied the doctor. ‘Well firstly, you should only eat fresh fruit and vegetables. You shouldn’t eat any meat, salt, cheese or butter. You shouldn’t drink any alcohol and you shouldn’t smoke. You should drink lots of natural mineral water, but not too cold.‘
   ‘OK,’ said Natasha, writing all this down in her notebook. ‘And should I change anything else about my lifestyle?’
   ‘You shouldn’t go out to bars or big cities,’ the doctor told her, ‘because the crowds and the noise can be stressful. You should get up very early in the morning and go running and you shouldn’t stay up late at night. You shouldn’t watch television or use the internet. It’s not good for you to sit still for long and look at a screen.’
   ‘And by following this health plan I’ll live to be a hundred?’ asked Natasha.
   ‘Well, I don’t know, ‘ answered the doctor. ‘but it will certainly feel like it.’

Grammar: should / shouldn’t for advice

To say what you think is a good idea use should . To say what you think is a bad idea use shouldn’t + infinitive (without to).

What should I do to get fitter?
You should take more exercise.
You shouldn’t smoke.

With should (as with all modal verbs) don’t use auxiliary verbs in question forms and don’t add ‘s’ with the 3rd person singular form.

INCORRECT: Do I should eat more fish?

CORRECT: Should I eat more fish?

INCORRECT: He shoulds go now.

CORRECT: He should go now.

Choose a verb to complete the sentences with should / shouldn’t .

eat

stay

write

stop

1. You know that cigarettes are bad for your health. You ___________ smoking.
2. You never remember phone numbers. You ___________ them down in a notebook.
3. You’re tired all the time. You ___________ up late on the internet every night.
4. I’m not surprised you don’t feel well after all that chocolate. You ___________ so much.
5. If you don’t feel well, you ___________ to the doctor.

Match the problems with the advice.

6. I can’t stop coughing.	A. You shouldn’t spend so much money on things you don’t need.
7. My credit card bill is terrible.	B. You should go to bed earlier.
8. I’m so worried about my exam.	C. You should walk instead of driving.
9. The price of petrol has gone up again.	D. You should try to relax more.
10. I always feel tired in the morning.	E. You shouldn’t smoke so many cigarettes.

Vocabulary exercises

Choose the correct verb to complete these sentences.

make

sit

drink

look

1. It’s not good for your eyes to _______ at a screen all day.
2. Do you want to go out or stay in tonight? You can _______ the choice.
3. You shouldn’t _______ alcohol before driving.
4. The doctor advised Jack to _______ a health plan.
5. I told the children to _______ still and be good until I got back.

Choose the right preposition to complete these sentences.

6. Eating fresh fruit and vegetables is good at / by / for you.
7. Do you often stay up / at / to late watching television?
8. From / By / In following my doctor’s advice I stopped smoking without any difficulty.
9. People who take exercise regularly live at / for / to longer.
10. I should write off / down / over this advice to help me remember it all.

Doctor joke

Doctor: You should take three teaspoonfuls of this medicine before every meal.
Patient: But, doctor, I can’t. I’ve only got two teaspoons.

ANSWERS