(Photo by Moyan Brenn)
I suggest that you visit Paris before you die. It’s a beautiful city!
I notice that a lot of English learners struggle with the verb suggest, so I want to explain how to use it properly. The verb suggest (to mention or recommend something to think about or something someone should do) is an unusual English verb. It is not used in a sentence the same way that other verbs are.
For example, these sentences are NOT correct:
The company suggested us to take an extra day off.
I hope you suggest us a good hotel.
This is the most common way that English learners try to use the verb, but it is incorrect.
Why are these incorrect? Suggest is never followed by a direct personal object (like ‘you’ or ‘us’), and it is never followed by an infinitive.
Here are 3 ways that you CAN use the verb suggest:
1. Suggest + that-clause + the subjunctive
Don’t let the word ‘subjunctive’ scare you! This is not a verb tense that you need to memorize. It is not used very often. All you need to remember is that the subjunctive is the same as the base form of the verb.
Suggest is most commonly followed by a that-clause in which the subjunctive is used:
subject + suggest + (that*) + subject + subjunctive
*In this that-clause, ‘that’ can be left out of the sentence
Let’s rewrite sentence #1 from above:
The company suggested us to take an extra day off.
The company suggested (that) we take an extra day off.
More example sentences:
She suggests (that) we go out for dinner after the movie.
My parents suggested (that) I get a job after school.
Her brother suggests (that) she study harder so she can get into a good university.
Note that in the subjunctive tense, the verb doesn’t change depending on the subject. The subjunctive is just the base form of the verb.
Negative:
The teacher suggested (that) we not waste time playing video games after school.
2. Suggest + gerund
An infinitive is never used after suggest. If you use a verb after suggest, the verb must be in the gerund form. The meaning of the sentence is the same as using the subjunctive.
We can rewrite sentence #1 from the top of the post:
The company suggested us to take an extra day off.
The company suggested taking an extra day off.
More example sentences:
Her brother suggests studying harder so she can get into a good university.
My trainer suggests eating less and exercising more.
Her family suggested waiting a few years before she gets married.
3. Suggest + noun
This is the form to use when you are talking directly TO someone! However, you do not need to say who you are talking to.
Let’s rewrite sentence #2 from the top of this post. You want someone to tell you about a good hotel:
X: I hope you suggest us a good hotel.
I hope you can suggest a good hotel (to me).
It may help to remember this: you suggest something (to someone)
More example sentences
Can you suggest some interesting apps?
No politician has suggested a way to improve the economy.
Suggest an idea for a blog post!
He suggested several different things to do after dinner.
The company is looking for a new marketing manager, so I suggested Mary for the job.
Hopefully this blog post has helped you to better understand the verb suggest!
Melanie is a TESL-certified English teacher. She lives near Toronto, Canada. Through her blog, videos, podcasts, and social media, she helps thousands of people around the world improve their English. She makes English a little less confusing and a little more fun! She also helps people understand Canadian and American culture. She believes that natural interaction with a native speaker helps people practice what they have learned and builds their confidence with English!
{ 59 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi, very useful.
I’m one of those who has problems with the word ‘suggest’. Now it’s more clear; nevertheless I have a question unrelated to it.
In your example:
“Can you suggest some interesting apps?”
Shouldn’t “any” be used instead of “some” for being an interrogative question? Why!!!!
[Thinking to myself]Whenever I think I learnt an English grammar rule, something comes up that proves me wrong[/Thinking to myself]
Thank you!
Jesús.
Hi, Jesús! Good question!
Whenever I write example sentences, I just go with what I feel is right. I never check grammar books because I want students to learn natural English. In American English, we use many things that are “grammatically” incorrect, but they are acceptable anyway!
To answer your question, I checked one of my grammar books, and here’s what it said:
“In most questions (but not all) we use ‘any’ (not ‘some’).”
“We normally use ‘some’ (not ‘any’) when we offer things ["Would you live some coffee?"] or when we ask for things. ["Can you lend me some money?"]”
In this case, I am asking someone to recommend some interesting apps to me, so I think that qualifies as “asking for things.”
I hope that makes sense!
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Ah! Ok.
Of course it makes sense. I should have reviewed the grammar… It seems to me that I was aware of the general rule, but I overlooked the details…
[Thinking to myself]Before thinking to yourself that you have learnt an english grammar rule, make sure that you have really learnt it, stupid![/Thinking to myself]
Thank you again, Melanie!
Jesús.
It was not stupid of you, Jesús, and you should not use that word! If it was stupid, then I was stupid, too, because I had to read a grammar book to explain why my sentence was correct! There is an exception to every English “rule,” and it gets very confusing trying to memorize them all!
Thank you for your kind words, Melanie! but don’t worry, it’s just that my conscience tends to be a little bit hard on me from time to time, but we usually get along very well. :-)
Hi Melanie,
We are a class of San Sebastian, Basque Country (Spain).
Your explanations were really useful. Some of us had the same mistake using suggest.
Best regards,
Unai
Hi Melanie! that’s what i’m talking about! We have to study natural english. As I told you on facebook, i’m really appreciating the site! Thanks.
Hi, Rhanniery!
It’s nice to see you here! I’m glad this post was useful to you. = )
i want learn me about natural English for i student at university dept of English language ……thank you
Hi. I like to read and study through your blogs. It’s really well-explained, because there is a lot of websites about learning English, but they are so entangled write that it’s hard to understand something, furthermore you can get a head pain. I would like that you explain me something that I don’t understand very well. Can you, please, explain when I need to put ‘to’ I know that I need to put it with an infinitive verb, but I’d like to know other uses and also when I need to put an infinitive verb.
Hi, Ilia! Thank you for your kind words!
That’s a HUGE topic & one that can’t be covered in a single blog post!
I think it will be easier for you if you break it down into smaller topics, and master one topic at a time:
- Start with this website:
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/to
- study each use of ‘to’
- To learn more about when to use an infinitive, go to this website:
http://www.englishpage.com/gerunds/index.htm
Best of luck to you! I know that English is a frustrating language, but keep up the good work!
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Thank you very much :) I began to learn through the first web page that you gave to me. Thank you for these suggestions! I will follow them.
Hi: you have written that you didnot understand the way of understanding. but I could say that this way of preparing something from this website is goodone because the thing which you want to study is written in such amazing way that you can understand it clearly.
HI,
it’s a lovely website Melanie! i really amazed to see it. there’s so much i want to say but words aren’t enough to describe what’s on my head. Good job!
Thank you for your kind words, Rovk! I am thrilled that you enjoy this website. I hope my articles here continue to be useful to you!
All the best with your English studies,
Melanie
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Hello Melanie,
Thank you for your site. I just discovered it and I think it’s great!
But I have a problem. I still can’t understand how these two sentences can be different:
He suggested (that) I (should) buy a new phone.
He suggested I bought a new phone.
Thanks a lot.
Hi, EngLearner!
‘Should’ is not needed in your 1st sentence & your 2nd sentence is not correct.
The correct sentence is:
“He suggested (that) I buy a new phone.”
[NOT 'bought.' Use the subjunctive/base form, not the simple past.]
You could also say:
“He told me I should buy a new phone.”
Those two sentences are saying the same thing.
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thanks for the lesson You are a great english teacher.
Pilar (Spain)
hi: Piller its a good site and I have also learnt from it
Dear Melanie,
I am having trouble with something that my L.A. teacher gave me. Its a packet and the rest I got done except for this question/answer.
Directions: For each topic sentence below, write at least 3 sentences that contain the supporting details.
Topic Sentence: Having a brother can be a pain sometimes, but it has its advantages.
What 3 sentences can I write for that sentence?
So, Tatiana, you need to write 3 positive sentences about having a brother. What are the advantages of having a brother? Do you have a brother? Do you know anyone who has a brother? You can ask them 3 positive things about having a brother.
For example (I copied these ideas from the internet),
- a brother can be there for you when you need a shoulder to cry on
- a brother can be your best friends
- a brother can protect you
- a brother can play sports with you
… things like that!
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my eng.is vry week please help me .
Thank you for your explanation, but I have a question, could you explain the difference between suggest and recommend?
Thank you in advande
Hi, Irene!
Most of the time, suggest & recommend can be used as synonyms.
However, both words ALSO have a couple separate uses. Compare the definitions:
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/recommend
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/suggest
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My question is with the verb “to be”
I have to write a sentence like this:
We suggested (that) Ana be tested.
Is the use of “be” correct?
I understood by your explanation that “We suggested that Ana to be tested” is NOT correct. I assume the subjunctive is “be” and not “is”. “We suggested that Ana is tested” sounds wrong to me, but not sure about the whole use of this verb in the subjuntive.
Hi, Alejandro!
It’s easier than you think it is! Your sentence is correct:
“We suggested (that) Ana be tested.”
Don’t worry too much about the subjunctive. It’s just the ‘base form’ of the verb. The base form is how the verb appears in the dictionary. For example, the base form of ‘be’ is just … ‘be’! That’s it!
http://www.englishteachermelanie.com/grammar-understanding-verb-forms/
That’s how easy it is!
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Dear Melanie,
Thanks again, your explanations about grammar are clearest one I have ever heard. Could you please tell me other famous verbs followed by subjunctive verbs?
Hello Y2K,
It’s important to remember that ‘suggest’ is not ALWAYS followed by verbs in the subjunctive. As you can see above, ‘suggest’ is sometimes followed by a regular noun & a gerund. When ‘suggest’ is followed by a that-clause, the verb in the that-clause is in the subjunctive.
Other verbs that can be used in the same sentence structure as #1 above include:
insist
demand
recommend
propose
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Melanie ma’am you are very beautiful.
Melanie,
In the section 1. Suggest+that-clause+the subjunctive, your third example sentence (“Her brother suggests that she study harder…”), why is it that the pronoun she takes the plural form of study? Why shouldn’t it read “Her brother suggests that she [a singular pronoun] studies harder…”?
I am always confused by this usage after the verbs suggest and recommend. I hope you can set me straight.
Thank you.
Virginia
Hi, Virginia,
“Her brother suggests that she study harder…”
Remember that the verb tense used in the the ‘that’ clause is the subjunctive. The subjunctive is just the base form of the verb ‘study.’ It doesn’t change. There is no plural or singular form of the subjunctive.
The subjunctive does not change with the pronoun:
“My brother suggests that I study harder…”
“Our brother suggests that we study harder…”
“His brother suggests that he study harder…”
“Their brother suggests that they study harder…”
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Dear sir,madam,
i am glad to write to you to find out the difference between suggestion and proposal.
cheers
Hello,
Here is a better way to write your comment:
“Can you please tell me the difference between ‘suggestion’ and ‘proposal’?
Thanks.”
‘Proposal’ and ‘suggestion’ have similar meanings, but ‘proposal’ is a formal suggestion. For example,
“I have a business proposal for you.”
“Obama introduced his proposals for gun control today.”
“They accepted his proposal.”
Here is some more information on ‘proposal’:
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/american/proposal
http://www.learnersdictionary.com/search/proposal
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Is ‘suggest’ as plural verb and ‘suggests’ a singular verb?
Hi, Nityam,
The base form of the verb is ‘suggest.’
The present tense of the verb is:
I/You/We/They suggest
It/He/She suggests
Dear Melanie,
Thanks for your website and your help.
My name is Zoltán from Hungary who used to live in Canada for one year.
I would like to say thank you for you and the Canadians for the English language that I can use in my life every day.
The fact is that my English has to be improved and I am looking for the possibilities to learn more and more.
Your website helps me to understand the roles easier.
I will use your website in the future because it is very efficient to use.
Thanks,
Zoltán
This is the best English grammer explanation ever! I was always comfused on how to use this word” suggest” , like – what to follow this word, infinitive or pronoun. I know now how to use it once for all. Great thanks to you – the greatest English teacher Melanie.
Thanks Melanie for this very clear and interesting way of explaining “suggest”.
However, what would you say of the use of suggest in the past :
My parents suggested I went to the university ?
and also wouldn’t you want to include the use of should :
The steward suggested that I should place my luggage in the rack ?
Cbeers
Brigitte
Hi, Brigitte!
Good questions! Regardless of when the event occurred, the ‘that’ clause will always be in the subjunctive:
“My parents suggested I go to university.”
[You don't need 'the' before university.]
You don’t need to use ‘should’ with ‘suggest.’ You should rewrite the sentence:
“The steward suggested I put my luggage in the rack.” [= It's just a suggestion. You can if you want to, but you don't have to.]
“The steward said I should put my luggage in the rack.” [= More definite than a suggestion.]
“The steward told me to put my luggage in the rack.” [= You have to put your luggage in the rack.]
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I am terrificly pshched from what i received from the content of this page! Its so educational & interesting! The analysis was so great & fascinating! Please keep it up! Thanks!
Hello, Melanie! Thanks for your explanation, it really helps me a lot! I feel lucky to find your website and it is one of the happiest things today! Thank you again!
Great job Miss Melanie! You helped me so much! Your blog is so useful! Real treasure!
Regards from Greece!
“Suggest is never followed by a direct personal object (like ‘you’ or ‘us’)”
What? That’s not true. Why are you saying this?
1. I suggest you go now. – OK
2. I suggest you correct the mistake on your website. – OK
I’m saying it because it’s true.
For example,
“I suggest (that) you study English grammar.”
‘You’ is not the direct personal object. It is the subject of the ‘that’ clause.
Did you even read the article?
You should have a loook at BBC learning english grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. Their explanations are a little bit diferent about the uses of suggest. Anyway congratulations for your excellent web site.
*Sigh.* No, their explanations are not a little bit different about the uses of suggest, but thanks anyway.
Thank you so much for your post. There isn’t any information in dictionaries noticing the base form of verbs after ‘suggest that …’. Many of us thought the verb has to be put in suitable tenses as usual, just like this ‘I suggest he goes …’
Hi Melanie, thanks for your explanation,it was very useful. However I am a bit confused because I have read in my grammar book this phrase
“I suggested ( your) selling it”
Why the possessive adjective is put before the gerund?
Hi, Francesca,
That sentence is not correct. What book was it in? Is that the entire sentence, or is there more?
Also, be careful with your question form!
“Why IS the possessive adjective put before the gerund?”
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Hi Melanie,
V helpful, just one question re “The teacher suggested (that) we not waste time playing video games after school” – can we also say “The teacher suggested (that) we DO NOT waste time…”? I am speaking about natural English here, not grammar books.
Thanks,
Kai
That’s a good question, Kai! I didn’t think about it when I wrote that sentence. I just wrote what came naturally.
I checked the book ‘Practical English Usage’ by Michael Swan [http://astore.amazon.com/english0f-20/detail/019442099X]. Since the verb in the ‘that clause’ is in the subjunctive, ‘do’ is not is not used. ‘Do’ is not used with any verb in the subjective. Just use ‘not.’ ‘Not’ comes before the verb.
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Thank you for this useful site. I would like to know how to arrange the following sentence with “suggest”.
Can I say, “I suggest you to go to the doctor’s”
Thank you for your help.
Hi, Edward!
Let’s take a look at your sentence:
“I suggest you to go to the doctor’s.”
There are two parts to your sentence: “I suggest” and a ‘that-clause’ “you to go to the doctor’s.”
You should use the structure in section #1 for your sentence:
subject + suggest + (that*) + subject + subjunctive
“I suggest (that) you go to the doctor.”
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I have a question. At the beginning of this “lesson”, you said you shouldn’t use direct personal object. You suggested that we should use this pattern:
subject + suggest + (that*) + subject + subjunctive
My question is related to the pronoun “you”. Since the subject pronoun and the direct object pronoun are the same, I think “I suggest you study” should be correct, but you mentioned that “you” (as well as “us”; which I completely agree/understand).
Do you have any comments on this issue?
Thank you,
Alejandro
Hi, Alejandro,
In your example sentence, “I suggest you study,” ‘you’ is not the direct object pronoun. It’s the subject pronoun of the ‘that-clause.’ Even if you don’t use ‘that’ in your sentence, ‘you’ is still the subject pronoun. It goes with the verb ‘study.’
You can’t say:
“I suggest you a movie.”
“He suggests you to call him later.”
Those sentences are incorrect.
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What does Nigel suggest they do?
He suggests they have a toast.
Please reply, it is correct or do I need to put the that clause before they?
Hi, Mario,
“What does Nigel suggest they do?”
~ “He suggests they have a toast.’”
Correct!
‘They do’ and ‘they have a toast’ are ‘that-clauses.’ With the verb suggest, you don’t need to include the word ‘that’ as part of the clause.
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Clear!, now I am very clear with this. Could you give me an easy explanation about common patterns+verbs+he, she, me…? When can I use the structure: I want you…He wants she…..They ask me…., for aexample.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Oscar
Hi, Oscar,
Subject + verb + object is the most common sentence structure in English. Most verbs are used this way. There are only a few verbs like ‘suggest.’
“He wants she” is not correct.
Here are some patterns that follow this sentence structure:
http://esl.about.com/od/writingintermediate/a/sentence_patterns.htm
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