#228: Recommend vs. Suggest in English | Understand Confusing Word Pairs

After years and years of learning English, do you occasionally realize that you’ve made a mistake while speaking but… you’re not really sure what the mistake was?
Perhaps something just sounded off. Or someone looked at you with that “Hmm, that didn’t sound correct but I understand what you’re saying” kind of look.
For example, how do you differentiate between the correct and appropriate use of the words ‘recommend’ and ‘suggest’ when offering advice to others?
You may use ‘recommend’ and ‘suggest’ interchangeably and struggle to clearly offer recommendations or suggestions by using the appropriate grammatical structures.
Let’s fix that.
By the end of the lesson, you will learn the clear differences between ‘recommend’ and ‘suggest’, including how and when to use them and the sentence structures you can follow for accuracy.
Then, at the end, I have a quiz for you. So join me from start to finish.
Recommend vs. Suggest in English [Fix Common Misktakes]
Subtle Differences in Meaning
Recommend means to present something as advisable and worthy of favorability, confidence, and/or acceptance.
Most importantly, we use the verb on a more personal level, when expressing opinions based on personal experience or preferences:
Ex. I recommend watching The Queen’s Gambit; it keeps you at the edge of your seat!
Suggest: means to mention or introduce something for consideration or as a suitable option.
Unlike recommend, we use ‘suggest’ when there’s less of a personal investment and to simply express a thought
Ex. I suggest moving the launch date to next month to ensure our manufacturers are able to produce the targeted number on time.
Scenario #1: To Share Thoughts About Something
When you want to provide an opinion related to something, the word you use will depend on whether it’s an opinion stemming from personal preferences or simply a generic thought.
Either way, both words will use the following grammatical structure:
Recommend/Suggest + Noun Object
- Imagine a tourist stops you to ask whether any good cafes are in the area. You might say, “I recommend the cafe down the street”.
- On the other hand, you might be at work and think of a fitting course of action and say, “I suggest a meeting to finalize the details of the contract”. The meeting isn’t exactly a PERSONAL recommendation, but it’s something you suggested because it seemed necessary in this situation.
Scenario #2: To Recommend/Suggest An Action
Sometimes, providing an option or an opinion may fall in the realm of a possible action. In this case, there are two structures that would be useful:
Recommend/Suggest + Gerund
OR
Recommend/Suggest + That + Subject + Verb
Let’s take a look at the gerund structure.
Recommend/Suggest + Gerund
We use the gerund structure when suggesting or recommending a course of action that you hope will occur in the immediate future.
- I recommend ordering the house special; it never fails to please me. (The recommended action is to order)
- The forecast shows a big storm headed this way; I suggest waiting until the storm passes before heading up north. (The suggested action is to wait.)
Once again, ‘recommend’ is used when there’s some personal investment in your advice.
Recommend/Suggest + That + Subject + Verb
Similarly, we use the ‘that’ structure when you want to emphasize by whom the action should be completed.
- I recommend that you focus on doing more fieldwork before you write your dissertation.
- I suggest that everyone uses their vacation days before the end of the year; HR will not be carrying unused days forward.
For both structures, we use ‘suggest’ only when something is heavily based upon fact, rather than personal opinion.
Scenario #3: To Recommend Something/Someone to Someone
The final situation is specifically for using ‘recommend’. When we want to redirect someone or refer them to something, we use the following structure:
Recommend + Object + For Something/To Someone
For example, maybe you’ve read a fantastic book and want to share it with your friends. In this case you may say, “I recommend The Alchemist for your next book-club pick; it’s beautiful.“
On the other hand, someone may have come to you for advice that is completely outside your level of expertise. At that point, you may choose to say, “I recommend Isabella for more information on this client; she has worked with them in the past.”
In either case, you’re using ‘recommend’ to share a personal opinion.
It’s Time for a Quiz!
Now that you’re familiar with the subtle differences and accurate structures for using recommend vs. suggest, let’s practice.
I have 4 quiz questions for you. You can share your answers in the comment section below. That is also where I’ll share the answers.
- The lawyer _______ that we review the proposal carefully before finalizing the terms and signing.
- I ________ visiting the new Holiday Market; it’s absolutely magical!
- My daughter ________ the Dyson hairdryer; she said it was worth it.
- Please ______ any alternative times for the meeting via email.
I look forward to hearing your responses.
~ Annemarie
P.S. Are you looking for a community to provide support, help you stay motivated, and guarantee that you grow? Check out our Confident Women Community.
Get the Confidence to Say What You Want in English
Follow my 3-step solution to speak English with clarity, fluency, and freedom so you can say what you want with confidence.
You'll also get my Confident English lessons delivered by email every Wednesday and occasional information about available courses. You can unsubscribe any time.
More Like This
#334: How to Group Words and Pause for Natural-Sounding English
Struggling to speak English naturally? Discover how to group words effectively using thought groups to improve your English fluency and sound more natural. Learn how to pause and improve pronunciation to make your English speech smooth and easy to understand.
#333: Better English Conversations: Increase Your Economic Vocabulary
Do you want better English conversations about the economy, finance, and global events? If you’ve ever felt unsure using economic vocabulary in English, this lesson will help you increase your economic vocabulary and speak with confidence in real conversations.
#332: Give Better Descriptions In English: Use -ish, -like, -esque
Learn how to use three powerful suffixes—-ish, -like, and -esque—to describe colors, times, styles, and qualities with precision and fluency.
#331: Handle Awkward Situations in English | Express Dislike Politely
Explore how to express dislike, disapproval, or lack of interest in a way that feels natural and honest.
#330: Do Less to Achieve More: Success Tips for English Confidence [FREE GUIDE]
A practical guide to English confidence: Learn why simplifying your approach leads to better progress. Stop overwhelming yourself with too many resources and start speaking with confidence.
Top 5 Confident English Lessons of 2024
Master spontaneous speaking, think faster, and become a more confident English speaker by catching up on the most popular lessons of 2024.
© Copyright 2014-2025 Speak Confident English | Privacy Policy | Terms & Disclaimer | Online Class Policies
Here are answers to the quiz:
Suggested, recommend, recommended, suggest
would you prease explain why is not correct for 1.and 3. present simple tens
Thank you, Annemarie! You are great! Can we have a similar lesson about the verbs “evaluate” vs. “assess”, please? I have always been asking myself what the difference is? Thanks in advance. Looking forward to your next video!
I have 4 quiz questions for you. You can share your answers in the comment section below. That is also where I’ll share the answers.
Great lesson and clarity
Perfect, Bharat! Well done.
I have the correct answers.
Also I have an example to differentiate recommend and suggest.
I suggest watching tv this evening and recommend watching Suits on Netflix.
Thanks, Ghiath. I appreciate the example you shared using both verbs.
This was an excellent lesson. I used both words in the same meaning… until now. I usually used the word recommend when I needed to underscore the idea, and suggest, if the idea was in a generic context.
My answers are:
1.Suggests x
2.Recommend
3.Recommended
4.Suggest
It could be present simple in #1?
Thank you!
I’m so glad it was helpful, Beatriz! And yes, we could use ‘suggests’ in number. Particularly if we’re repeating what the lawyer said.
Dear Annemarie,I got your idea about using recommend and suggest.
when you have already answered the questions so it became very easier for everyone to answer the questions.
🌷what I understood is, when something we personally experienced and trying to make other people understand, we should use recommend and
🌷when we think something is good, useful and should be taken into consideration,we should use the word suggest. Thanks for wonderful lesson.
So glad it was a helpful lesson, Meena! You definitely captured the main idea of the lesson.
1/ suggest, I think recommend is correct too(as the lawyer is focusing on special thing)
2/recommend
3/recommend
4/suggest
Thanks, Raoudha. You’re right. There is an argument to use “recommend” in number 1. It all depends on what the speaker wants to express.
Now that you have the right word choices, you can review the grammar tenses used.
suggest
recommend
recommend
suggest
Great word choices, Wati! Now take a moment to review what grammar tenses should be used in each.
Thank you
You’ve got the right word choices, Jessica! 🙌 Now you can review the grammar tenses that should be used.
1- Recommended
2- Recommend
3-Recommended
Suggest
Well done, Ahmed. While I used ‘suggested’ in number 1, there is an argument for using ‘recommended’ as well.
Suggested
Recommend
Recommend
Suggest
Great job selecting which word to use, Naushad.
1 suggest
2 Recommend
3 Recommend
4 Suggest
Great Metlhape. You’ve made the right word selections. Now I recommend reviewing the verb tenses.
Hi annemarie,
In my opinion, in the first case, I believe that it can also be “recommended”, since it is understood that a lawyer is a person experienced in this type of task and at least a little personal involvement is expected, since he is the person in whom I have placed my trust to deal with these documents.
Thank you very much for your didactic explanations.
Thanks Jose, and you’re right. ‘Recommended’ could also be used to insinuate or refer to the lawyer’s professional experience. The English language (and choices between verbs such as suggest vs. recommend) is often fluid, which means there are little adjustments we can make based on what we want to express. I’m so glad you’ve shared your thoughts here.