Suggestions

A:

How aboutI pick you up at eight o’clock on my way to the airport?

B:

Great. I’ll see you then.

We often usehow aboutandwhat about+ noun phrase when we make suggestions about food or drink. These suggestions are invitations:

A:

Are you hungry?

B:

Yeah,how aboutsome lunch?

What abouta coffee?

We can usewhy notto make a general suggestion. We often find it in advertising:

Why nottake a break in the south-west?

Why nottreat yourself to a meal at the Icon Restaurant?

We can usewhy don’t …?to make a specific suggestion:

You look really tired.Why don’tyou take some time out and rest?

It’s getting late in the evening now.Why don’twe stop now and work on this tomorrow morning?

We uselet’s(let us) to make suggestions about doing something with someone:

Let’scall Michael and see if he knows how to fix it.

Let’smake a curry tonight.

We uselet’s notto make negative suggestions:

Let’s notargue about this.

Let’s notspend all night talking about my problems.

We often use phrases withcouldto make suggestions. Some are neutral, some are strong. The negative form,couldn’t, is stronger than the affirmative form:

We can usecan’t youto make a strong suggestion. It can sound very direct when it is addressed to someone who is present:

[mother to child]

Can’t youfinish your homework before going?

[a woman is talking about her husband who wants a new television]

A:

I think our television is fine. I don’t want it to be replaced really.

B:

Mm.

A:

And he’ll want one of those wide screens.

B:

Oh dear.Can’themanage with the one you have?

We can use phrases withI thought we mightorI thought we couldto make weak suggestions, especially when we don’t want to sound too forceful:

On Saturday,I thought we mightgo to town and see the Farmers’ Market and thenI thought we couldhave lunch in a nice little café by the river.

We can use the phraseyou could alwaysorwe could alwaysto make weak suggestions:

A:

Oh no! We’re out of olive oil.

B:

We could alwaysuse butter. I know it’s not as healthy, but it’ll taste good.

We use the phrasethere’s alwaysto make very weak suggestions. It is sometimes used when someone is trying to cheer someone up or trying to be funny:

A:

How did it go?

B:

We lost four nil. That’s it for this year. We’re out of the championship now.

A:

Don’t worry.There’s alwaysnext year.

[friends are chatting about the Beatles; Paul and Ringo are the names of two of its members]

A:

I always liked Paul.

B:

I once dreamt that I married Ringo.

A:

Oh no! That was a nightmare!

C:

There’s alwaysdivorce!

We also usesuggestandshallto make suggestions.