Suggestions

If we make a suggestion, it means that we mention a possible course of action to someone. There are a number of expressions which we can use to make suggestions.

How about/what about + -ing?

How about starting a book club?

What about opening your present now?

How about + present simple?

A:

How aboutI pick you up at eight o’clock on my way to the airport?

B:

Great. I’ll see you then.

We often use how about and what about + noun phrase when we make suggestions about food or drink. These suggestions are invitations:

A:

Are you hungry?

B:

Yeah, how aboutsome lunch?

What about a coffee?

See also:

Invitations

How

What

Supposing

Why not …? and why don’t …?

We can use why not to make a general suggestion. We often find it in advertising:

Why not take a break in the south-west?

Why not treat yourself to a meal at the Icon Restaurant?

We can use why don’t …? to make a specific suggestion:

You look really tired. Why don’t you take some time out and rest?

It’s getting late in the evening now. Why don’t we stop now and work on this tomorrow morning?

See also:

Why

Let’s … and let’s not …

We use let’s (let us) to make suggestions about doing something with someone:

Let’s call Michael and see if he knows how to fix it.

Let’s make a curry tonight.

We use let’s not to make negative suggestions:

Let’s not argue about this.

Let’s not spend all night talking about my problems.

See also:

Let, let’s

Could

We often use phrases with could to make suggestions. Some are neutral, some are strong. The negative form, couldn’t, is stronger than the affirmative form:

Strong

A:

I only have three chairs. There will be four of us for dinner.

B:

Couldn’tyou use the one in your bedroom?

A:

I need to finish this essay by tonight.

B:

Couldn’tyou get up early in the morning to finish it?

Neutral

A:

I have nothing to wear to the party.

B:

You couldwear your red dress and your black shoes.

A:

We’ll need to have at least £300 for the concert tickets, the accommodation and the train.

B:

Wecouldcut lawns and wash cars and that kind of thing. Orwecouldborrow the money from our parents and pay them back.

See also:

Could

Can’t you …?

We can use can’t you to make a strong suggestion. It can sound very direct when it is addressed to someone who is present:

[mother to child]

Can’t you finish your homework before going?

[a woman is talking about her husband who wants a new television]

A:

I think our television is fine. I don’t want it to be replaced really.

B:

Mm.

A:

And he’ll want one of those wide screens.

B:

Oh dear. Can’themanage with the one you have?

I thought we might/could

We can use phrases with I thought we might or I thought we could to make weak suggestions, especially when we don’t want to sound too forceful:

On Saturday, I thought we might go to town and see the Farmers’ Market and then I thought we could have lunch in a nice little café by the river.

You could always

We can use the phrase you could always or we could always to make weak suggestions:

A:

Oh no! We’re out of olive oil.

B:

We could alwaysuse butter. I know it’s not as healthy, but it’ll taste good.

There’s always

We use the phrase there’s always to make very weak suggestions. It is sometimes used when someone is trying to cheer someone up or trying to be funny:

A:

How did it go?

B:

We lost four nil. That’s it for this year. We’re out of the championship now.

A:

Don’t worry. There’s alwaysnext year.

[friends are chatting about the Beatles; Paul and Ringo are the names of two of its members]

A:

I always liked Paul.

B:

I once dreamt that I married Ringo.

A:

Oh no! That was a nightmare!

C:

There’s alwaysdivorce!

We also use suggest and shall to make suggestions.

See also:

Suggest

Shall

How

• wood pigeon
• woodpile
• woodpiles
• wood-pulp
• wood pulp
• woodruff
• woodruffs
• woods
• woodshed
• woodshedded
• woodshedding
• woodsheds
• wood sorrel
• wood-sorrel
• woodss
• wood stove
• wood-stove
• woodsy
• woodwind
• woodwinder
• woodwindest
• woodwinds
• woodwork
• woodworker
• woodworkers
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