How to Make Suggestions in English

Making a suggestion is one of the most useful everyday functions in English, whether you are choosing a restaurant with friends or proposing an idea in a meeting. The good news is that a handful of set phrases cover almost every situation. The skill is knowing which verb form follows each one, and which suits a casual chat versus a formal discussion. This guide groups the phrases by how direct they are, with an example of each.

Casual, friendly suggestions

These suit friends, family and relaxed settings.

• Let's... (+ base verb): Let's order a pizza.
• Why don't we...? (+ base verb): Why don't we take the earlier train?
• How about...? (+ -ing or noun): How about meeting at seven? How about a walk?
• What about...? (+ -ing or noun): What about trying that new café?

Note the grammar: Let's and Why don't we take the base verb, while How about and What about take the -ing form or a noun. Mixing these up ("How about meet") is one of the most common slips.

Neutral suggestions for most situations

These work almost anywhere, from work to social plans.

• We could... (+ base verb): We could split the bill.
• Shall we...? (+ base verb): Shall we begin?
• I suggest... (+ -ing or that-clause): I suggest starting early. I suggest that we wait.
• Maybe we should... (+ base verb): Maybe we should ask first.

Shall we is especially useful for offering to do something together, and it stays common in British English where other varieties might use should.

Softer, more formal suggestions

When you want to sound tentative, polite or professional, make the suggestion less direct.

• We could perhaps...: We could perhaps revisit this next week.
• It might be worth... (+ -ing): It might be worth checking the figures again.
• One option would be to...: One option would be to delay the launch.
• Might I suggest...?: Might I suggest a short break?

The extra words like perhaps, might and would are what soften the suggestion and make it suitable for a meeting or an email to someone senior.

Responding to a suggestion

A suggestion usually needs a reply, so a few responses are worth having ready. To agree: "Good idea", "That works for me", "Sounds good". To decline gently: "I'm not sure that would work", "Maybe another time", "I see what you mean, but...". Softening a refusal is part of keeping the conversation friendly.

Choosing the right one

Match the phrase to the setting. Among friends, Let's and How about are natural. At work, We could and Shall we fit most moments. With someone senior or in writing, the softer forms carry the right respect. You can try these functions on the demanding prompts in our C2 speaking topics. Getting this register right is a real speaking skill, and our Eng4Skills assessment grades your spoken English against the CEFR, so you can hear whether your everyday functions like this already sound natural.