Usamos el condicional simple para dar consejos de forma educada.
(We use the condicional simple to give advice politely.)
- We use 'Mi consejo es' and 'Yo recomendaría' + infinitive.
- With 'En tu lugar' and 'Si fuera tú', we use the conditional.
- With 'Deberías' and 'Podrías', we also use the infinitive for suggestions.
| Expresión (Expression) | Ejemplo (Example) |
|---|---|
| Mi consejo es... (My advice is...) | Mi consejo es pensar más en el futuro antes de actuar. (My advice is to think more about the future before acting.) |
| En tu lugar... (If I were you...) | En tu lugar, planificaría bien cada omienzo. (If I were you, I would plan each beginning well.) |
| Si fuera tú... (If I were you...) | Si fuera tú, pensaría en lo posible y no en lo imposible. (If I were you, I would think about what is possible and not about what is impossible.) |
| Yo recomendaría... (I would recommend...) | Yo recomendaría realizar tus sueños poco a poco. (I would recommend achieving your dreams little by little.) |
| Deberías... (You should...) | Deberías soñar con un plan realista. (You should dream with a realistic plan.) |
| Podrías... (You could...) | Podrías hacerse escritor y contar tus historias. (You could become a writer and tell your stories.) |
Exercise 1: Dar consejos con el condicional simple
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Si fuera tú, En tu lugar, Deberías, Podrías, Yo recomendaría
1.
Consejo + infinitivo:
... planificar el comienzo de tu carrera.
(You should plan the start of your career.)
2.
Consejo en condicional + infinitivo:
... pensar más en el futuro antes de decidir.
(You could think more about the future before deciding.)
3.
Consejo en condicional + infinitivo:
... pensar en tus planes antes de casarte.
(You should think about your plans before getting married.)
4.
Consejo en condicional + infinitivo:
... pensar bien antes de tener un hijo.
(I would recommend thinking carefully before having a child.)
5.
Consejo + infinitivo:
... realizar tus planes poco a poco.
(I would recommend making your plans little by little.)
6.
Consejo + condicional:
... empezaría a ahorrar desde ya.
(If I were you, I would start saving right away.)
7.
Consejo + condicional:
... hablaría con la familia sobre el futuro.
(If I were you, I would talk to the family about the future.)
8.
Consejo + condicional:
... , investigaría un poco más sobre ese plan.
(If I were you, I would investigate that plan a bit more.)
Exercise 2: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Select the correct sentence that politely expresses wishes, advice, or suggestions using "Me gustaría", "Querría" or "Debería" correctly.
1.
Error: after 'Me gustaría' the infinitive must be used, not the subjunctive ('travel' instead of 'I travel').
Conjugation error: after 'Me gustaría' comes an infinitive ('travel'), not a conjugated verb.
2.
Error: after 'Querría' the infinitive is used, not the subjunctive ('to speak' instead of 'I speak').
Error: the correct structure is 'Querría' + infinitive ('to speak'), not gerund.
3.
Error: after 'Deberías' the infinitive ('rest') must be used, not gerund.
Error: 'that' or a conjugated verb should not be used after 'Deberías', but the infinitive.
4.
Error: 'En tu lugar' is used with conditional for suggestions, not with the present indicative imperative like 'must'.
Incorrect for this structure, because with 'En tu lugar' the conditional is used, not 'Deberías' + infinitive directly.
Exercise 3: Rewrite the phrases
Instruction: Rewrite the sentences to give a more polite piece of advice using, as appropriate: "My advice is + infinitive", "If I were you + conditional", "If I were you + conditional" (alternative phrasing), "I would recommend + infinitive", "You should + infinitive" or "You could + infinitive".
-
Hint Hint (Mi consejo es) Quiero decirle a mi amiga que tiene que pensar mejor en su futuro profesional.⇒ _______________________________________________ ExampleMi consejo es pensar mejor en tu futuro profesional.(My advice is to think more carefully about your career future.)
-
⇒ _______________________________________________ ExampleEn tu lugar, cambiaría de trabajo si no estás contento.(In your place, I would change jobs if you weren’t happy.)
-
⇒ _______________________________________________ ExampleYo recomendaría tomar un curso de liderazgo.(I would recommend taking a leadership course.)
-
Hint Hint (Si fuera tú) Quiero aconsejar a mi hermana: “Organiza un plan realista para ahorrar dinero este año”.⇒ _______________________________________________ ExampleSi fuera tú, organizaría un plan realista para ahorrar dinero este año.(If I were you, I would set up a realistic plan to save money this year.)
-
Hint Hint (Deberías) Quiero aconsejar a mi colega: “Habla con Recursos Humanos sobre una formación”.⇒ _______________________________________________ ExampleDeberías hablar con Recursos Humanos sobre una formación.(You should speak with Human Resources about training.)
-
Hint Hint (Podrías) Quiero aconsejar a un amigo: “Trabaja algunos meses en otro país para practicar el idioma”.⇒ _______________________________________________ ExamplePodrías trabajar algunos meses en otro país para practicar el idioma.(You could work for a few months in another country to practice the language.)