suggest

sug|gest

W1S1 [səˈdʒest US səgˈdʒest] v [T]

[Date: 1500-1600; : Latin; Origin: , past participle of suggerere 'to put under, provide, suggest', from sub- ( SUB-) + gerere 'to carry']

1.) to tell someone your ideas about what they should do, where they should go etc

→↑propose

▪ They keep suggesting ways to keep my weight down.

▪ She wrote to me and suggested a meeting.

suggest (that)

▪ I suggest you phone before you go round there.

▪ It has been suggested that the manager will resign if any more players are sold.

suggest doing sth

▪ Joan suggested asking her father for his opinion.

suggest how/where/what etc

▪ The therapist suggested how Tony could cope with his problems.

can/may I suggest

(=used to politely suggest a different idea)

▪ May I suggest that you think carefully before rushing into this?

▪ No possible explanation suggests itself (=is able to be thought of) .

2.) to make someone think that a particular thing is true

= ↑indicate

▪ Trends in spending and investment suggest a gradual economic recovery.

suggest (that)

▪ Opinion polls suggest that only 10% of the population trusts the government.

evidence/results/data/studies etc suggest(s) that

▪ The evidence suggests that single fathers are more likely to work than single mothers.

3.) to tell someone about someone or something that is suitable for a particular job or activity

= ↑recommend suggest sb/sth for sth

▪ John Roberts has been suggested for the post of manager.

4.) to state something in an indirect way

= ↑imply

▪ Are you suggesting my husband's been drinking?

5.) I'm not suggesting

spoken used to say that what you have said is not exactly what you intended to say

▪ I'm not suggesting for one moment that these changes will be easy.

6.) to remind someone of something or help them to imagine it

▪ The stage was bare, with only the lighting to suggest a prison.

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GRAMMAR

!! Do not say 'suggest (someone) to do something'. You can use the following structures:

suggest that somebody do something : He suggested that we go (NOT suggested us to go) for a drink.

You can miss out 'that' : What do you suggest we do (NOT suggest us to do)?

suggest doing something : I suggest wearing (NOT suggest to wear) something warm.

suggest something : She suggested a walk before dinner.

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