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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 about I 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 about some 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’t you use the one in your bedroom?
  • A: I need to finish this essay by tonight.
  • B: Couldn’t you get up early in the morning to finish it?

Neutral​

  • A: I have nothing to wear to the party.
  • B: You could wear 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: We could cut lawns and wash cars and that kind of thing. Or we could borrow 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’t he manage 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 always use 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 always next 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 always divorce!

We also use suggest and shall to make suggestions.

See also
  • Suggest
  • Shall
  • How