Understanding the Usage of “Recommend” and “Suggest”

Key Points

Normal Verb Pattern

Most verbs in English are followed by an object pronoun (e.g., me, her, them) and then an infinitive form of the verb (to + action). This structure looks like:

He [verb] [object pronoun] to [action].

Here are some examples to illustrate this pattern:

• My boss wants me to finish the report soon.
  • “wants” is the verb, “me” is the object pronoun, and “to finish” is the action.
• I need you to set up a meeting for Friday.
  • “need” is the verb, “you” is the object pronoun, and “to set up” is the action.
• She expected us to return to the office by noon.
  • “expected” is the verb, “us” is the object pronoun, and “to return” is the action.

In these sentences, the verbs (wants, need, expected) are followed by an object pronoun (me, you, us) and then the infinitive form of another verb (to finish, to set up, to return).

Unique Verb Pattern

A small set of verbs, including “suggest,” “recommend,” “hope,” “insist,” “prefer,” and “request,” use a different structure. Instead of an object pronoun, these verbs are followed by a subject pronoun (e.g., I, she, they) and sometimes the word “that” before the action verb.

The structure looks like this:

He [verb] (that) [subject pronoun] [action].

Let’s look at some examples:

• I suggested (that) they take a break.
  • “suggested” is the verb, “they” is the subject pronoun, and “take a break” is the action.
• I hope (that) she does not burn out from overwork.
  • “hope” is the verb, “she” is the subject pronoun, and “does not burn out” is the action.
• He insisted (that) I go home since I looked tired.
  • “insisted” is the verb, “I” is the subject pronoun, and “go home” is the action.
• I prefer (that) she give me fewer assignments.
  • “prefer” is the verb, “she” is the subject pronoun, and “give” is the action.
• He requested/insisted (that) we work remotely.
  • “requested/insisted” is the verb, “we” is the subject pronoun, and “work remotely” is the action.

In these sentences, the verbs (suggested, hope, insisted, prefer, requested/insisted) are followed by a subject pronoun (they, she, I, we) and the action verb (take a break, does not burn out, go home, give, work).

Additional Examples

To further illustrate these unique patterns, here are more examples:

• Suggest
  • She suggested (that) he try the new restaurant.
  • They suggested (that) I start the project early.
• Recommend
  • I recommend (that) you visit the museum.
  • We recommend (that) he take the advanced course.
• Hope
  • I hope (that) they arrive on time.
  • She hopes (that) you succeed in your career.
• Insist
  • They insisted (that) she attend the meeting.
  • He insists (that) I follow the guidelines.
• Prefer
  • I prefer (that) he speaks softly.
  • We prefer (that) she stay at home today.
• Request
  • I requested (that) they send the documents by email.
  • She requested (that) I join the discussion.

Practice Exercises

• Fill in the blanks with the correct form:
  • She ______ (suggest) (that) I ______ (read) the book.
  • We ______ (hope) (that) he ______ (arrive) soon.
  • He ______ (recommend) (that) she ______ (study) for the test.
  • They ______ (insist) (that) we ______ (participate) in the event.
  • I ______ (prefer) (that) you ______ (work) on the project.
• Rewrite the sentences using the unique verb pattern:
  • My teacher wants me to complete the assignment.
  • The manager needs them to attend the meeting.
  • She asked us to help with the preparation.

Understanding these unique patterns will help you use these special verbs correctly in your sentences. Practice using them to become more comfortable with these structures.