Reading between the lines: an English notice and its implied audience
A student preparing for the UFRGS foreign-language section finds this notice in an English text about urban transport: "Cyclists are reminded that the riverside path will be closed to bicycles from Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., while repair work is carried out. During these hours, cyclists are advised to use the upper road. We apologize for any inconvenience." The student must answer comprehension questions in Portuguese, based on the English text, and is unsure whether "advised" means the use of the upper road is mandatory or recommended.
1. What is the difference in meaning between "advised" and "required" in this notice, and how should the student answer a question asking whether cyclists must use the upper road?
Read the worked answer
"Advised" indicates a recommendation, not an obligation. "Required" would indicate a mandatory rule. The notice says cyclists are "advised to use the upper road," so the upper road is suggested as an alternative, not imposed.
Therefore, in a question asking whether cyclists are obliged to use the upper road, the correct answer is no: they are recommended to do so, but the text does not state that they must. A precise answer should distinguish between the closure (which is stated as a fact: the path "will be closed to bicycles") and the alternative route (which is a recommendation).
A common error is to treat any instruction in a notice as mandatory. The student should locate the exact verb and check whether it expresses obligation (must, required, have to) or suggestion (advised, recommended, should consider).
2. The notice mentions "any inconvenience." What does this expression refer to, and why is this kind of formula common in public notices?
Read the worked answer
"Any inconvenience" refers to the discomfort or trouble caused to cyclists by the temporary closure - for example, having to change route or take more time. The phrase is a standard politeness formula in public notices, often called an apology formula.
It is common because notices serve two functions at once: informing (the path is closed, the work is being done) and managing the public's reaction (acknowledging that the measure causes trouble). The word "any" makes the apology broad and non-specific, covering whatever problems users may experience without listing them.
In a comprehension question, the student should not interpret the apology as an admission of a serious problem; it is a conventional expression. The key information remains the schedule and the recommended alternative.