Hi,
Which one is correct:
“Where do you suggest going”
or
“Where do you suggest to go”?
Hi Fedorov,
I´d say both are fine, but dependant on their use.
"Where do you suggest going" to me sounds like the question for the way one is unsure to go. For instance, you´re walking along a road with a friend and on the right pavement there is a group of young nasty bolts and on the left pavement you observe some snappish barking dogs. Now you wonder what side to choose and ask your friend: “Where do you suggest going?”
Well, your friend -also not sure- might answer: “Seemingly the question isn´t on which side I´d suggest to go but where I´d suggest to go…straight forward or better to where we came from…???”
Michael
Hi Michael,
Thanks for your reply. First of all I want to say it was a pretty nasty situation you’ve described above! Never wish to get involved into that:)
But let’s return to the main question.
In your last sentence you’ve used the word ‘suggest’ as a synonym of ‘whether’. So, that is the point, am I correct?
If we ask the question about the place where to go, this will be correct:
“Where do you suggest going?”
“I suggest going to the cinema.”
This will be incorrect:
“Where do you suggest to go?”
“I suggest going to the cinema.”
If we don’t speak of certain place, but of actions, we can say for example:
“I don’t care if you suggest me to go or to stay.”
Am I right?
hello Fedorov,
me, too, rather not struggle into such a misery. looool Nonetheless, still you have the choice: fight or draw back.
As for the topic:
“going”, to me, has the idea of being a in continuous process. Means, it started somewhen in the past and is still ongoing and a suggestion here can mean only to ponder about the best way the process should go on.
“to go” I suppose, is the Present Tense and has the meaning of being general and not yet started. In combination with “suggest…suggest where to go” I more would assume getting asked for a goal …i.e. a place… or an exam… or the cinema… or something like that.
To me, this also sounds like a question after the goal. “I don´t care about your wish, no matter if it is you want me to leave or to stay.” By the way, this is also no very pleasant situation, I´d suggest. lol
Michael
OK, thanks one more time for the detailed explanation.
But the reason of asking this question is the following. Once I’ve read from a textbook that the verbs ‘fancy’, ‘suggest’ and some others are always used with verbs in ‘-ing’ form.
After that I consulted the dictionary and found the same thing. In short, it says “never use infinitive clause after the word ‘suggest’”.
That’s why I’m in doubt.
…
If anyone asks me…‘’ on the internet, where do you [color=blue]suggest me to go for a clear grammar resolution…?‘’
I will gently answer her/him ‘’ I will [color=blue]suggest you going to www.english-test.net…‘’
…
The ultimate answer could be found here: ldoceonline.com/dictionary/suggest
This is what it says:
!! Do not say ‘suggest (someone) to do something’. You can use the following structures:
suggest that somebody do something
• He suggested that we go (NOT suggested us to go) for a drink.
You can miss out ‘that’
• What do you suggest we do (NOT suggest us to do)?
suggest doing something
• I suggest wearing (NOT suggest to wear) something warm.
suggest something
• She suggested a walk before dinner.
I thank all of you for the discussion. Good luck!