Making suggestions means giving ideas or proposing something for people to do.
We use suggestions when we:
- Plan activities
- Solve problems
- Share opinions
- Work in teams
- Talk with friends
Suggestions can be:
- Informal (friends, family)
- Neutral (colleagues)
- Polite/formal (work, business)
1️⃣ What Is a Suggestion?
🔹 Explanation
A suggestion is when you say:
“Let’s do this.”
“Maybe we should try this.”
“Why don’t we…?”
It is NOT an order.
Compare:
Order:
“Do this now.” ❌ (strong, direct)
Suggestion:
“Maybe we could try this.” ✔ (softer, polite)
Suggestions are softer and more cooperative.
Table: Order vs Suggestion
| Type | Example | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Close the window. | Strong |
| Suggestion | Let’s close the window. | Friendly |
| Suggestion | Why don’t we close the window? | Cooperative |
| Suggestion | We could close the window. | Polite |
2️⃣ Using “Let’s”
🔹 Explanation
“Let’s” = Let us
Structure:
Let’s + base verb
Examples:
- Let’s go.
- Let’s eat.
- Let’s start the meeting.
- Let’s take a break.
It includes the speaker and listener.
Table: Let’s Structure
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Let’s + verb | Let’s watch a movie. |
| Let’s not + verb | Let’s not argue. |
| Question response | That’s a good idea! |
💡 Tip
Don’t say:
❌ Let’s to go.
Correct:
✔ Let’s go.
3️⃣ Using “Why Don’t We…?”
🔹 Explanation
This is a very common and friendly suggestion.
Structure:
Why don’t we + base verb?
Examples:
- Why don’t we go out tonight?
- Why don’t we try a different restaurant?
- Why don’t we ask for help?
It sounds collaborative and positive.
Table: Why Don’t We Examples
| Situation | Example |
|---|---|
| Planning dinner | Why don’t we order pizza? |
| Problem solving | Why don’t we restart the computer? |
| Weekend plan | Why don’t we go to the beach? |
4️⃣ Using “We Could…”
🔹 Explanation
“We could” is softer and less direct.
Structure:
We could + base verb
Examples:
- We could leave earlier.
- We could ask the manager.
- We could try something new.
This suggests possibility, not pressure.
Tone Difference
Let’s leave now. → Stronger
We could leave now. → Softer
Table: Comparing Suggestion Strength
| Phrase | Strength Level |
|---|---|
| Let’s | Strong |
| Why don’t we | Medium |
| We could | Soft |
5️⃣ Using “How About…?”
🔹 Explanation
“How about” is very common in conversation.
Structure 1:
How about + noun?
- How about coffee?
- How about a break?
Structure 2:
How about + verb + ing?
- How about going out?
- How about trying again?
Table: How About Structure
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| How about + noun | How about lunch? |
| How about + verb-ing | How about watching a movie? |
Common Mistake ❌
❌ How about to go shopping?
✔ How about going shopping?
After “How about” → use -ing form.
6️⃣ Using “Should”
🔹 Explanation
“Should” gives advice or strong suggestion.
Structure:
Subject + should + base verb
Examples:
- We should leave now.
- You should try this.
- We should call him.
“Should” is stronger than “could.”
Table: Could vs Should
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Could | Possibility | We could try again. |
| Should | Advice | We should try again. |
7️⃣ Making Polite Suggestions at Work
At work, tone is very important.
Instead of:
❌ This is wrong.
Say:
✔ Maybe we could try another approach.
✔ Perhaps we should review this again.
✔ What if we changed the strategy?
Table: Professional Suggestion Phrases
| Phrase | Use |
|---|---|
| Perhaps we could… | Meetings |
| It might be a good idea to… | Formal |
| What if we… | Brainstorming |
| One option could be… | Business discussions |
| I suggest that we… | Semi-formal |
8️⃣ Responding to Suggestions
You must also know how to respond.
Table: Agreeing and Disagreeing
| Response Type | Example |
|---|---|
| Agree | That’s a great idea! |
| Agree | Sounds good to me. |
| Neutral | Maybe. Let’s think about it. |
| Disagree politely | I’m not sure about that. |
| Disagree politely | Maybe we could try something else. |
9️⃣ Using Intonation
Tone matters.
If you say:
“Why don’t we go?”
With friendly tone → suggestion
With angry tone → criticism
Practice rising intonation for friendly suggestions.
🔟 Common Mistakes
❌ Let’s to start.
✔ Let’s start.
❌ How about to eat?
✔ How about eating?
❌ We should to leave.
✔ We should leave.
❌ Why we don’t go?
✔ Why don’t we go?
11️⃣ Suggestion Dialogues
Friends
A: I’m bored.
B: Let’s watch a movie.
A: Good idea!
Workplace
Manager: We need to improve sales.
Employee: Perhaps we could increase online marketing.
Manager: That’s worth considering.
12️⃣ Suggestion Practice Exercise
Complete the sentences:
- Let’s ______ (go) outside.
- Why don’t we ______ (try) again?
- How about ______ (order) food?
- We should ______ (finish) this today.
Answers:
- go
- try
- ordering
- finish
13️⃣ Real-Life Situations
Situation 1: The room is hot.
Suggestion: Let’s open the window.
Situation 2: The project is late.
Suggestion: We should work on it today.
Situation 3: You are hungry.
Suggestion: How about getting some lunch?
14️⃣ Tips to Sound Natural
✔ Add “maybe” to soften suggestions
✔ Use friendly tone
✔ Smile when speaking
✔ Avoid sounding like you are giving orders
✔ Use “we” instead of “you” to sound cooperative
Instead of:
“You should fix this.”
Say:
“Maybe we could fix this.”
Much softer.
15️⃣ Final Summary
To make suggestions in English, use:
- Let’s…
- Why don’t we…?
- We could…
- How about…?
- We should…
- Perhaps we could…
Remember:
✔ Use base verb after most structures
✔ Use -ing after “How about”
✔ Adjust tone depending on situation
✔ Be polite in professional settings
Making suggestions is about cooperation, not control. When learners master this skill, their English becomes more natural, confident, and socially smooth.
Contributor @newtaresh.com
