These three verbs—advise, recommend, and suggest—can sometimes cause confusion when it comes to their correct usage. Let’s break down how each one works with practical examples and guidelines.
Common Mistakes to Watch Out For:
Can you suggest me a place to go?
❌ Incorrect.
✔️ Correct: Can you suggest a place for me to go?
OR: Can you suggest where I should go?
I advise to see a lawyer.
❌ Incorrect.
✔️ Correct: I advise you to see a lawyer.
He recommended her to see a doctor.
❌ Incorrect.
✔️ Correct: He recommended that she should see a doctor.
I recommend to identify some key points to remember.
❌ Incorrect.
✔️ Correct: I recommend identifying some key points to remember
OR: I recommend that we should identify some key points.
We suggest you to come with us.
❌ Incorrect.
✔️ Correct: We suggest that you (should) come with us.
They suggested to use Google Translate.
❌ Incorrect.
✔️ Correct: They suggested using Google Translate.
Practical Examples:
“Why don’t you see a doctor?”
He suggested/recommended that she should see a doctor.
He advised her to see a doctor.
“Why don’t we all go out for a drink?”
He suggested that we should all go out for a drink.
He suggested going out for a drink.
“What can I do? Where can I go?”
Can you suggest/recommend what I could do and where I could go?
Can you suggest somewhere for me to go?
Can you advise me where to go?
Guidelines to Follow:
Suggest doing something
Use this when the subject is involved in the action.
Example: He suggested going for coffee (he's coming too).
Suggest (that) someone (should) do something
Use this when you're giving advice to someone else.
Example: They suggested that I should go see a doctor.
You can also use this form when the person making the suggestion is involved.
Example: He suggested that we should all go get coffee.
Recommend works similarly to suggest.
Example: He recommended that we should try the new restaurant.
Advise someone to do something
Example: They advised us to go by train.
Practice with These Exercises:
Choose the correct form for each sentence below:
What do you suggest that I should do / me to do?
They advised to get / us to get there early.
Health experts recommend reducing / to reduce / that we reduce our intake of salt.
He advised seeing / me to see his dentist.
I suggest you to go / that you should go there.
He recommended to me a bar on the high street / a bar on the high street (to me).
We suggest doing / to do this at least once a day.
I recommend to follow / following these instructions very carefully.
I suggest you to study / you should study more.
They advised to not have contact / us not to have contact with her again.
Answers:
that I should do
us to get
that we reduce / reducing
me to see
that you should go
a bar on the high street to me
doing
following
you should study
us not to have contact
Use these guidelines to master these tricky verbs and improve your writing and speaking skills!
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