What is Suggest in English? General knowledge about Suggest in English

Suggest in English is used to recommend or propose doing something. However, if you take a deeper look, you'll find that Suggest is also used in many interesting cases when communicating in English. Let's explore the knowledge about Suggest in English with PREP to accurately distinguish between the cases of "Suggest To V" or "Ving"!

I. What is Suggest in English? 

Suggest - /səˈdʒest/ is a commonly used English verb, often used with the meaning of "to propose, suggest, recommend" when one wants to give advice, make a suggestion or imply something indirectly, or even speak generally without referring to any specific person.

Here are some Suggest example sentences: 

• He suggested me to buy clothes at the shopping mall. 

• My boss suggested to me a new way to do this project. 

Here are some Suggest synonyms in English:

Here are some idioms that have similar meaning to the word Suggest in English:

II. Formula for Suggest in a sentence

1. Suggest + noun/noun phrase 

In this structure, the noun phrase serves as the object of the verb Suggest in the sentence.

Structure:

Suggest + noun/noun phrase 

For example:

• He suggested a new restaurant downtown. 

• I suggest a quiet coffee shop for our meeting. 

Additionally, if the speaker wants to refer to the person receiving the suggestion, we use Suggest in English something to someone.

For example: 

• She suggested a new restaurant to us for dinner. 

• They suggested a different approach to me. 

2. Suggest + that-clause 

When you want to make a suggestion or give an opinion, you can use a "that" clause following the verb Suggest. Additionally, in informal situations, you can omit "that" in the Suggest structure. Note: When using the "that" clause, the verb that follows must be in the base form without "to."

• My English teacher suggested that I study harder for the IELTS exam. 

• My parents suggested that I apply for scholarships to save money. 

• They suggested (that) we organize a charity event. 

Besides meaning to propose, Suggest in English in this case can also mean "to imply" (i.e., imply).  For example:

• Bella suggests that her boyfriend is very patriarchal. 

• The dark clouds and strong wind suggest that a squall storm is coming. 

3. Suggest itself to somebody

The phrase “suggest itself to somebody” also means to suddenly come up with an idea.

For example:

• The idea to my book suggested itself to me as I was taking a shower. 

• As I was walking in the park, the idea for a new app suggested itself to me. 

4. Suggest + V-ing

"Suggest + V-ing" is used when we want to make a general suggestion that does not refer to a specific person.

For example:

• Anna suggested going on a picnic this weekend. 

• Sophia suggested going to a cafe this weekend. 

5. Suggest + Wh-question word

Suggest can also be used with question words such as “where, what, when, who, how” following the verb Suggest.

For example: 

• Could you suggest where Anna might be able to buy a laptop for her, Peter?

• Could you suggest where our class can eat today, Anna? 

6. Suggest in indirect speech (Suggest someone to do something grammar)

In indirect speech, Suggest is used to give a recommendation for someone to do something. Essentially, this structure is similar to the "Suggest V-ing" structure mentioned above.

Structure:

S + suggest + Ving = S + suggest + (that) + S + V1 + somebody + to V1

For example: 

• Direct speech: "I suggest we go to the movies tonight," she said. → Indirect speech: She suggested that we go to the movies that night.

• Direct speech: "Why don't we have a picnic tomorrow?" he asked. → Indirect speech: He suggested that they have a picnic the following day.

III. How to use Suggest in English

Below are specific ways of Suggest use in a sentence that you should know:

1. Advise a specific person (or group of people)

2. Nominate a person (or thing) suitable for a position (purpose)

Suggest in English can be used to nominate a person or an object for a related position or purpose.. For example: 

• My boss suggested me for the position of content specialist. 

• Anna suggested her colleague for the leadership position. 

3. Give an indirect suggestion

Suggest is used to make an indirect suggestion, meaning "to imply.". For example: 

• His tone suggested that he was not happy with the decision. 

• Anna suggests her boyfriend give her a new ring. 

4. The structure "suggest + gerund" used in formal situations

5. Suggest is used to indicate (an event/object) that shows who did what

Suggest can be used to indicate an event or an object that shows who did what. For example:

• The pink dress suggests she is girlish. 

• The tidy desk suggests he has a high level of discipline.

IV. Exercises on the usage of Suggest in English

To understand the various usages of Suggest in English and know how to apply them in different situations, let’s solve some exercises together!

Exercise 1: Apply the usage of Suggest in English to complete the sentences

1. Bella suggests __________ (collect) new notebooks.

2. John suggests that his friend (work) __________ harder.

3. Tim suggests that you (listen) __________ to a German podcast everyday.

4. Sophia suggests (organize) __________ a small music concept to raise money.

5. Anna suggests that her sister (practice) __________ speaking English everyday.

6. Jenny suggests (take) _________ a taxi to go to a restaurant.

7. Peter suggests (help) __________ poor student with some books.

8. Anna suggests (give) __________ free book library to poor children.

9. Linda suggested  __________ (travel) together next week.

10. My mother suggested that I  __________ (leave) my bed around 4.30 o’clock. 

Exercise 2: Choose the correct answer based on Suggest in English

1. My teacher suggested she _____ harder to pass the exam.

• A. studies

• B. study

• C. studying

2. Their manager suggests they _____ a meeting every month.

• A. should have

• B. have

• C. Both are correct

3. Bella suggested that our team _____ an online group.

• A. have

• B. has

• C. having

4. My company have suggested _____ to Singapore for this winter vacation.

• A. going

• B. go

• C. should go

5. Sophia suggests that John _____ badminton to have good health.

• A. (should) play

• B. playing

• C. plays

6. Rose suggested that we _____ John to the party.

• A. should invite

• B. invite

• C. Both are correct

7. The Korean government suggests _____ by public vehicle to reduce the air pollution. And their citizen support. 

• A. travel

• B. traveling

• C. traveled

8. Why suggest _____ to the supermarket on weekends when this is the most crowded time? 

• A. go

• B. going

• C. should go

9. I just suggested Jessica _____ to Scotland; I didn’t force her. 

• A. travel

• B. traveling

• C. Both are correct

10. I suggest my mom not _____ that trousers anymore. It’s too old.

• A. wear

• B. wearing

• C. Both are correct

Answer keys:

This article provides a detailed summary of all the knowledge about the usage of Suggest in English, which will help you differentiate its usage and understand what comes after Suggest in English! Be sure to keep this information handy for review and practice in communication situations or exercises and exams!