You should drink/you should be drinking a glass of milk. What is the difference?

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Aamir Tariq

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What is the difference between the following sentences.

You should drink a glass of milk.
You should be drinking a glass of milk.


Except the fact that the advice is being made in a simple tense in the first sentence. While in the second one the advice is being made in continuous tense.

Is there a difference between the two? Do they have different meanings?

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Aamir the Global Citizen
 

Rover_KE

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In what circumstances would you want to use these sentences?
 

Aamir Tariq

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In what circumstances would you want to use these sentences?

when I want to advice someone to drink milk when he/she is growing weak and he/she needs calcium and phosphorus to strengthen his/her bones.
 

GoesStation

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What is the difference between the following sentences.

You should drink a glass of milk.
You should be drinking a glass of milk.


Except the fact that the advice is being made in a simple tense in the first sentence. While in the second one the advice is being made in continuous tense.

Is there a difference between the two? Do they have different meanings?

Regards
Aamir the Global Citizen

The first tells someone that you think it would be a good idea for them to drink a glass of milk.

The second tells them you think that, at this moment, they should be engaged in drinking a glass of milk. This would be an odd thing to say.
 

emsr2d2

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When I want to [strike]advice[/strike] advise someone to drink milk when he/she is growing weak and he/she needs calcium and phosphorus to strengthen his/her bones.

- Start every sentence with a capital letter.
- "Advice" is a noun. "Advise" is a verb.

People don't generally feel weak when they need to strengthen their bones. One glass of milk won't help them. You might advise someone to drink a large glass of milk every day.
 

bubbha

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What is the difference between the following sentences.

You should drink a glass of milk.
You should be drinking a glass of milk.
Here's how I interpret it:

The former is a suggestion to drink a glass of milk.
The latter is a suggestion to make drinking a glass of milk a regular habit. (But it would be improved with the addition of a time phrase, like "every morning".)
 
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