MEETINGS & PRESENTATIONS

Making Suggestions

Contribute ideas and proposals in English meetings with confidence. Get phrases for soft suggestions, strong recommendations, and backing up your proposals.

Practice This Scenario

Scenario Overview

Making suggestions in meetings is how you add value and influence decisions. But there's an art to it — too tentative and your idea gets ignored; too forceful and it comes across as demanding. This guide gives you phrases calibrated to different situations, from gentle suggestions in a senior meeting to confident recommendations backed by data.

Key Phrases & Vocabulary

“I'd like to suggest that we explore a different approach to this.”

Introducing a new idea

formal

“What if we tried doing it this way instead?”

Proposing an alternative

neutral

“Here's what I'd recommend, based on my experience with similar projects.”

Leveraging your expertise

formal

“How about we run a quick pilot before committing to the full rollout?”

Proposing a test-first approach

neutral

“One thought — have we considered partnering with the product team on this?”

Cross-functional collaboration

neutral

“May I suggest an alternative timeline? I think two extra weeks would significantly improve quality.”

Timeline adjustments

formal

“I think it would be worth exploring whether automation could help here.”

Process improvement

neutral

“Based on what I'm hearing, my recommendation would be to start with the highest-impact changes first.”

Prioritization

formal

“Just throwing this out there — what if we surveyed our users before deciding?”

Data-driven suggestion

casual

“I have an idea that might save us time. Let me share it and see what you think.”

Framing your suggestion

neutral

Full Conversation Script

ManagerWe need to decide how to allocate the extra engineering resources this quarter. Any suggestions?

YouI'd like to suggest we allocate them to the technical debt backlog. We've been putting it off, and it's starting to slow down feature development.

ColleagueI was thinking we should use them for the new analytics dashboard instead.

YouThat's a valid option too. My thinking is that if we address the tech debt now, the analytics dashboard — and every other feature — will be faster to build afterward.

ManagerThat's a good argument. What would the timeline look like?

YouBased on our estimates, we'd need about three sprints to address the critical items. After that, feature velocity should increase by roughly 20-25%.

ManagerLet's go with that approach. Can you draft a priority list for the tech debt items?

YouAbsolutely. I'll have a prioritized list ready by Thursday with effort estimates.

Pronunciation Traps

Word	❌ Common Error	✅ Correct	Tip
suggestion	sug-JES-chun	suhg-JES-chuhn	First syllable has a schwa, ending is reduced
recommend	reh-COM-end	rek-uh-MEND	Stress on third syllable
alternative	all-TER-nah-tive	awl-TUR-nuh-tiv	Stress on second syllable, schwas after
automation	aw-toh-MAY-shun	aw-tuh-MAY-shn	Schwa in second syllable, reduced ending
prioritize	pree-OR-ih-tize	pry-OR-uh-tyz	First syllable rhymes with 'try'

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake“Making suggestions without explaining the rationale”

Fix“Always pair your suggestion with 'because…' or 'the reason is…' This helps people understand your thinking and take it seriously.”

Mistake“Being too indirect ('Well, I mean, maybe possibly we could…')”

Fix“Be clear and direct: 'I'd suggest we…' or 'My recommendation is…' You can be polite without being vague.”

Mistake“Giving up when your suggestion is initially pushed back on”

Fix“Support your idea with data or examples: 'I understand the concern. Let me share what happened when we tried this approach on another project.'”

Common Questions

How do I make a suggestion in a meeting without sounding pushy?

Use collaborative language: 'What if we…' or 'Have we considered…' Frame your suggestion as an option to explore, not a demand to follow.

What if my suggestion is rejected in front of everyone?

Stay professional: 'Fair enough. Thanks for considering it.' You can always follow up privately with additional data to support your case.

How can I build confidence in making suggestions in English?

Practice pitching ideas with Whisperly. The AI simulates a meeting where you can practice making suggestions, handling pushback, and defending your ideas.

Master Making Suggestions

The best way to prepare for an English meeting is to practice out loud. Try it with Whisperly now.

Start Practicing Now

No credit card required.

More Meeting Scenarios

Disagreeing Politely in Meetings

Facilitating a Discussion

Interrupting Respectfully

Asking for Clarification