Suggested Doing or Suggested That ...
Practice making clear suggestions in team chats, from everyday recommendations to polite disagreement and more subtle meanings.
Preview
Questions with solutions-
1. Choisissez la bonne réponse.
What is Ava proposing?
Ava: “I suggest moving our check-in to Friday.”
- Holding the check-in on Friday.
- Canceling Friday’s check-in.
- Keeping the check-in on its current day.
Ava is proposing a change to the meeting day.
Show solution
- Holding the check-in on Friday.
“Suggest” puts an idea forward; it does not mean the schedule has already changed.
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2. Complétez le blanc.
Our shared folder is a mess. I suggest ___ separate folders for each project.
- to create
- creating
- create
When an action follows “suggest” directly, think of the -ing form.
Show solution
Our shared folder is a mess. I suggest creating separate folders for each project.
Use “suggest creating,” not “suggest to create.” This pattern presents an action as an idea.
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3. Choisissez la bonne réponse.
Who would introduce the project under Maya’s plan?
Maya to Eli: “I suggest that you introduce the project while I share my screen.”
- Maya.
- Maya and Eli together.
- Eli.
Who does “you” refer to in this message?
Show solution
- Eli.
A that-clause can name who should act. Here, “you” refers to Eli, while Maya would share her screen.
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4. Choisissez la bonne réponse.
Which message uses a standard English pattern to recommend an action to a teammate?
- I suggest you to check the figures.
- I suggest that you check the figures.
- I suggest that you checking the figures.
“Suggest” does not use the same person + to-infinitive pattern as “advise.”
Show solution
- I suggest that you check the figures.
Use “suggest that you check,” not “suggest you to check.” Compare this with “advise you to check.”
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5. Complétez le blanc.
At the end of the call, I suggested the new schedule ___.
- to our manager
- our manager
- at our manager
The manager is the person receiving the suggestion.
Show solution
At the end of the call, I suggested the new schedule to our manager.
Use “suggest something to someone” when naming the person who receives the idea.
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6. Complétez le blanc.
The missing word is optional in this message.
I suggest ___ we try a shorter agenda.
- for
- to
- that
“We try a shorter agenda” already has a subject and a verb.
Show solution
I suggest that we try a shorter agenda.
“I suggest we try” and “I suggest that we try” express the same recommendation. Both are natural in team chats.
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7. Complétez le blanc.
I suggest that our new teammate ___ the next discussion.
- leading
- lead
- to lead
A recommendation with “suggest that” can use the base verb form.
Show solution
I suggest that our new teammate lead the next discussion.
In this common American English pattern, “lead” stays in its base form even though “our new teammate” is singular.
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8. Complétez le blanc.
We don’t have a backup yet. I suggest ___ the original file until we make one.
- not deleting
- to not delete
- don’t delete
Keep the -ing pattern, but make the proposed action negative.
Show solution
We don’t have a backup yet. I suggest not deleting the original file until we make one.
Put “not” before the -ing form: “suggest not deleting.” This recommends avoiding an action.
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9. Complétez le blanc.
I suggest that the announcement ___ by our editor before we post it.
- being checked
- to be checked
- be checked
The announcement receives the action; the editor performs it.
Show solution
I suggest that the announcement be checked by our editor before we post it.
“Be checked” is the passive form used here. It puts the announcement first while still naming the editor as the person checking it.
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10. Choisissez la bonne réponse.
What does “suggests” mean here?
The same error on several laptops suggests that the issue is with the shared network.
- Recommends a change to the network.
- Points to a likely explanation.
- Confirms the cause beyond doubt.
The subject is an error, not a person offering advice.
Show solution
- Points to a likely explanation.
“Suggest” can describe what evidence appears to show. In this use, it signals a possibility rather than certainty.
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11. Choisissez la bonne réponse.
How does Ana respond to Ben’s plan?
Ben: “Let’s send the slides without checking them.”
Ana: “I’d suggest reviewing them first so we don’t miss any errors.”- She disagrees politely and proposes a check first.
- She agrees that a check is unnecessary.
- She says the slides have already been checked.
Compare Ana’s proposed order of actions with Ben’s plan.
Show solution
- She disagrees politely and proposes a check first.
“I’d suggest” can soften a disagreement while still making the preferred action clear.
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12. Choisissez la bonne réponse.
What exactly is the speaker recommending?
I suggest that we check the summary, not that we rewrite the whole report.
- Rewriting the whole report instead of checking the summary.
- Avoiding a summary check because a rewrite is unnecessary.
- Checking the summary, without recommending a full rewrite.
The phrase after “not that” contrasts with the actual recommendation.
Show solution
- Checking the summary, without recommending a full rewrite.
“Not that we rewrite” limits the suggestion to checking the summary. It does not rule out a rewrite if one later proves necessary.