How to Make Suggestions and Offers in English

Summary

This video tutorial focuses on the English language techniques for making suggestions and offers. It covers the use of 'shall we' for asking for suggestions, 'could' or 'might' for making suggestions, and 'how about' and 'what about' for proposing ideas. The video distinguishes between suggestions and offers, explaining that suggestions are ideas for consideration while offers are direct proposals. It also highlights the correct use of verb forms after 'suggest' and 'offer,' emphasizing gerunds, modal verbs, and infinitives. The script includes practical dialogues and examples to illustrate these language structures, making it an informative resource for English learners.

Takeaways

• 😀 To ask for suggestions in English, use the modal verb 'shall' followed by 'we'.
• 🌤️ The script uses weather conditions as a context to make weekend plans, emphasizing the use of 'could' or 'might' for suggestions.
• 🏞️ 'How about' and 'What about' are used to propose ideas, with 'How about' sounding more certain than 'What about'.
• 🎬 When suggesting activities, the script shows the use of 'let's' for a more informal and direct suggestion.
• 👍 To agree with a suggestion, phrases like 'Sounds good', 'I'm up for it', or 'Let's do that' are used.
• 👎 If unsure or disagreeing with a suggestion, use 'I'm not sure' or 'I'd rather' followed by an alternative.
• 🤔 The difference between 'how about' and 'what about' is clarified, with 'how about' used for suggestions and 'what about' for objections.
• 🗣️ The script teaches the correct use of gerunds, modal verbs, and infinitives after verbs like 'suggest' and 'offer'.
• 👥 Inviting others is shown as a way to expand social activities, using 'let's' to include more people in the plan.
• 📚 The script differentiates between suggestions, which are ideas for consideration, and offers, which are direct proposals or opportunities.

Q & A

What are some ways to make suggestions in English as discussed in the video?

In the video, it's mentioned that to make suggestions in English, one can use the modal verbs 'shall' and 'could', as well as phrases like 'how about' and 'what about'. Additionally, 'let's' can be used for a more direct suggestion.

How does the video script differentiate between 'how about' and 'what about' when making suggestions?

The script explains that using 'how about' sounds more sure about the suggestion, while 'what about' sounds less sure. Both can be used to make a suggestion, but 'what about' is also used to make an objection.

What are some phrases to express agreement with a suggestion in English according to the video?

To express agreement with a suggestion, one can use phrases such as 'sounds great', 'sounds good', 'sounds good to me', 'I'm up for it', 'it's a good idea', and 'let's do that'.

How can you disagree with a suggestion in English as described in the video?

To disagree with a suggestion, you can say 'I'm not sure', 'I'm not sure about that', 'I don't think it's a good idea', 'you'd better not', or 'we'd better not'.

What is the difference between 'suggesting' and 'offering' something as per the video?

The video clarifies that 'suggesting' is about expressing an idea or giving advice for consideration, often leading to a common decision. 'Offering', on the other hand, is about asking if someone would like something or would like to do something, where the other person can accept or reject the offer.

How should you report someone else's suggestion in English as explained in the video?

To report someone else's suggestion, you should use the gerund after the verb 'suggests', or the modal verb 'should', or the bare infinitive without 'to'. For example, 'Dan suggested going to the lake' or 'Dan suggested that they should go to the lake'.

What is the correct structure to use after the verb 'offer' when expressing an action in English?

After the verb 'offer', you should use the infinitive with 'to'. For example, 'She offered to help him with the homework' or 'He offered to give me a ride'.

Can you use the phrase 'let's' to make a suggestion in English? If so, what is an example from the video?

Yes, 'let's' can be used to make a suggestion in English. An example from the video is 'let's visit Colombia next year'.

What are some alternative ways to express a preference when disagreeing with a suggestion in English?

When disagreeing with a suggestion, you can express a preference using 'I prefer', 'I would rather', or the short form 'I'd rather'. For example, 'I'd rather stay at home'.

How does the video script illustrate the use of 'should' after the verb 'suggest'?

The video script illustrates the use of 'should' after 'suggest' by providing examples such as 'Dan suggested that they should go to the lake' or 'Dan suggested that they go to the lake'.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Making Suggestions in English

This paragraph discusses various ways to make suggestions and offer activities in English. It covers the use of 'shall' for asking suggestions, like 'shall we do this weekend,' and the use of 'could' or 'might' when proposing activities such as 'we could go for a picnic.' The paragraph also introduces the use of 'how about' and 'what about' to introduce suggestions, with 'how about' sounding more certain than 'what about.' Additionally, it explains the use of 'let's' for making suggestions and the phrases to agree or disagree with a suggestion, such as 'sounds good' or 'I'm not sure.'

05:02

😀 Expressing Preferences and Disagreements

The second paragraph delves into expressing preferences and disagreements with suggestions. It explains the use of 'I prefer,' 'I would rather,' and 'we'd better' to convey personal preferences or recommendations. The paragraph also clarifies the grammatical structure to use with these expressions, noting that 'prefer' is followed by the infinitive 'to do,' while 'I'd rather' and 'we'd better' are followed by the bare infinitive. Furthermore, it discusses how to report other people's suggestions using gerunds or modal verbs after the verb 'suggest,' and differentiates between suggestions and offers, highlighting the use of infinitives with 'to' after the verb 'offer.'

Keywords

💡Suggestions

Suggestions are proposals or ideas offered for consideration, typically with the aim of improving a situation or making a decision. In the video, suggestions are made for weekend activities, such as going for a picnic to the lake or inviting friends, which are part of a conversation about planning enjoyable and engaging events.

💡Forecast

A forecast is a prediction of how things will develop in the future, often used in reference to weather conditions. The script mentions checking the forecast to decide on outdoor activities, highlighting the importance of weather predictions in planning.

💡Picnic

A picnic is a meal eaten outdoors, often in a public park or other scenic area. The video script suggests having a picnic at the lake, which is an example of a leisure activity that can be enjoyed during good weather conditions.

💡Alternatives

Alternatives are other options or choices that are available. In the script, when one person is not interested in watching TV, alternatives such as going shopping or watching a film at the cinema are proposed, demonstrating the consideration of different preferences.

💡Invitations

An invitation is a request to attend a social event or gathering. The video script includes the suggestion to invite friends Jack and Mary, which is a common social practice that enhances the enjoyment of an event by including more people.

💡Modal Verbs

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that express ability, permission, possibility, or obligation. In the context of the video, modal verbs like 'shall', 'could', and 'might' are used to make suggestions, indicating the level of certainty or uncertainty about the proposed activities.

💡Objections

An objection is a statement or action expressing disagreement or disapproval. The script provides an example of an objection when one person says, 'I don't want to stay here alone,' showing how individuals can voice their concerns or preferences in a group decision-making process.

💡Colloquialisms

Colloquialisms are informal words or phrases that are more common in spoken language than in formal writing. The video mentions phrases like 'sounds good to me' and 'I'm up for it', which are colloquial expressions used to agree with a suggestion in a casual and friendly manner.

💡Preferences

A preference is a greater liking for one alternative over another. The script uses phrases like 'I'd rather' to express personal preferences, such as choosing to go shopping over watching TV, which is essential in reaching a consensus in group activities.

💡Verbals

Verbals are forms of a verb that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. In the video, the use of verbals after verbs like 'suggest' and 'offer' is discussed, with examples showing how they are used to report suggestions and offers made by individuals.

💡Infinitives

An infinitive is the basic form of a verb, typically preceded by the word 'to'. The video explains the difference between using the infinitive with 'to' (as in 'offer to') and the bare infinitive (as in 'suggest going') in the context of making suggestions and offers.

Highlights

Learning how to make suggestions and offer different things in English.

Using 'shall we' for asking for suggestions.

Considering weather forecasts when planning activities.

Suggestion to go for a picnic to the lake.

Alternative plan to go back to town if the weather gets worse.

Preference for shopping or watching a film at the cinema over watching TV.

Invitation suggestion to include Jack and Mary.

Using 'let's' for making suggestions.

Agreement phrases such as 'sounds good' and 'I'm up for it'.

Disagreement phrases like 'I'm not sure' and 'I'd rather'.

The difference between 'how about' and 'what about' in making suggestions.

Using 'what about' to make an objection.

Expressing preferences with 'I prefer' and 'I'd rather'.

Correct use of 'suggest' with gerund, modal verb, or bare infinitive.

Reporting someone else's suggestion using 'suggested' and gerund.

The distinction between a suggestion and an offer.

Using 'offer' with the infinitive with 'to'.

Transcripts

in this video we're learning how to make

suggestions and offer different things

in English dan what shall we do this

weekend I don't know the forecast says

it will be bright and dry and Saturday

but it may rain on Sunday we could go

for a picnic to the lake and if the

weather gets worse we might go back to

town to spend the evening at home

watching TV going to the lake sounds

great I'm up for it but I'm not sure

about watching TV on Sunday evening it

is boring I'd rather go shopping or

watch a film at the cinema sounds good

to me how about inviting Jack and Mary

they could join us yes let's do that Dan

what shall we do this weekend we use the

model verb shell when we ask for a

suggestion more examples where shall we

go on holiday shall we stay home tonight

we could go for a picnic to the lake we

use the model verb coud or might when we

are making a suggestion repeat after me

they could join us later we might go to

Prague together

sounds good to me how about inviting

Jack and Mary to make a suggestion we

also use questions with how about and

what about we say how about or what

about something or someone and how about

or what about doing something for

example how about the cinema what about

the cinema how about going to the cinema

what about going to the cinema so what's

the difference between how about and

what about using how about we sound more

sure in relation to our suggestion and

what about sounds less sure the second

important thing is that we use both how

about and what about to make a

suggestion but only what about to make

an objection

so let's take a look at an example of an

objection we are leaving now but what

about me I don't want to stay here alone

the person who's saying I don't want to

stay here alone is not happy with the

fact and he is making an objection yes

let's do that one more way to make a

suggestion is to use let us or the

short-form let's repeat after me

let's visit Colombia next year let's

invite them to the party

going to the lake sounds great I'm up

for it

if you agree with a suggestion you can

use one of the following phrases sounds

great sounds good sounds good to me I'm

up for it which is quite colloquial or

even slang it's a good idea let's do

that

okay fine more examples

let's visit Colombia next year it's a

great idea let's invite them to the

party sounds good to me but I'm not sure

about watching TV on Sunday evening it

is boring when you disagree with a

suggestion you can use the following

phrases I'm not sure I'm not sure about

that I don't think it's a good idea you

had better not or we had better not but

you can more often hear the short form

of this phrase you'd better not with

better not

more examples let's call him now I'm not

sure about that how about inviting them

to the party we'd better not I'd rather

go shopping or watch a film at the

cinema and if you disagree with a

suggestion you can suggest an

alternative or express your preference

and you can use the following I prefer I

would rather and the short form I'd

rather we had better or we'd better so

I'd rather means the same as I prefer

and we'd better is the same as we should

let's go shopping tomorrow I'm not sure

about that I'd rather stay at home or I

prefer to stay at home please pay

attention that when we use prefer we use

the to-infinitive but when we use I'd

rather or we'd rather we use the bare

infinitive and the second dialogue we

could stay here for the night I don't

know we'd better find a better place so

you see that the person is not happy

with the idea and he's making a

recommendation

so how to report other people's

suggestions what is Dan saying we could

go for a picnic to the lake so Dan

suggested going to the link of going for

a picnic to the lake so we use the

gerund after the verb suggests and we

never use the to-infinitive

after suggests so you cannot say then

suggested to go to the lake it's wrong

another variant is to use the modal verb

shoot or bare infinitive without to for

example Dan suggested that they should

go to the lake or Dan suggested that

they go to the lake so what is the

difference between a suggestion and an

offer when you suggest something you

express some idea or give advice for

consideration and then a decision is

made sometimes it's a common decision so

Dan suggested going to the lake and his

friend agreed but offering something

you're asking if someone would like

something or would like to do something

so look at Jane she says would you like

a cup of coffee so she offered him a cup

of coffee the verb offer also has the

meaning of provide an opportunity to do

something and the other person can

either accept this opportunity or reject

it

and one more important thing is how we

use verbals after these verbs so how we

express an action repeat after me

he suggested going to the lake he

suggested that they should go to the

lake he suggested that they go to the

lake so after the verb suggests we use

the gerund the modal verb shoot or the

bare infinitive which is the infinitive

without - what about alpha repeat after

me

she offered to help him with the

homework he offered to give me a ride so

after the verb offer we use the

infinitive with to