1. Basic Meaning of Suggest

The word suggest means to propose or recommend an idea, action, or plan to someone. It doesn’t directly tell someone what to do but rather offers it as a gentle recommendation.

1. Common Sentence Structures with Suggest

To use suggest correctly, pay attention to the sentence structure. Here are the three main patterns:

1. a) Suggest + Noun

When you want to recommend a thing or an idea, you can simply follow suggest with a noun.

• Examples:
  • “She suggested a new restaurant for dinner.”
  • “He suggested a different approach to the project.”

1. b) Suggest + Gerund (the -ing form of a verb)

When suggesting an action, you should follow suggest with a gerund (a verb ending in -ing).

• Examples:
  • “I suggest going to the park this weekend.”
  • “He suggested trying the seafood special.”

1. c) Suggest + That + Subject + Base Form of Verb

To make a suggestion more formal or specific, use suggest with that, followed by a subject (like I, he, she, etc.) and then the base form of the verb (without to).

• Examples:
  • “I suggest that you take some time off.”
  • “The teacher suggested that we study for the test.”

1. Avoiding Common Mistakes with Suggest

Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

• No Infinitive (To): Don’t use to with the base form of the verb after suggest.
  • Incorrect: “I suggest to go to the beach.”
  • Correct: “I suggest going to the beach.”
• Don’t Add an Indirect Object Right After Suggest: Instead of saying, “She suggested me to try it,” you should use that or directly follow with the gerund.
  • Incorrect: “She suggested me to try it.”
  • Correct: “She suggested that I try it” or “She suggested trying it.”

1. Examples to Practice the Correct Usage

Let’s look at some more examples to reinforce the correct structures:

• Suggest + Noun: “He suggested a quick meeting to discuss the changes.”
• Suggest + Gerund: “They suggested watching a documentary.”
• Suggest + That + Subject + Base Form: “I suggest that he arrive early to secure a good seat.”

1. Practice Time!

Test your understanding by filling in the blanks:

1. She _________ a new restaurant.
2. They _________ (visit) the art gallery on the weekend.
3. I _________ that we _________ (start) the meeting on time.

Answers:

1. She suggested a new restaurant.
2. They suggested visiting the art gallery on the weekend.
3. I suggest that we start the meeting on time.

🌟 Pro Tip

To remember these structures, think of suggest as planting an idea 🌱. You’re sharing something for the person to consider, not giving direct instructions.