A complete English language course part 9

5 What shall we
do today?
In this unit you will learn how to:
• make suggestions to do things
• accept and decline suggestions
• discuss plans
• ask about and talk about likes and dislikes
• offer people things
• choose between things
Dialogue 1
Andrew and Kim are wondering what to do.
A
NDREW
: What shall we do this evening?
K
IM
: How about going out?
A
NDREW
: Good idea. Where shall we go?
K
IM
: We could go down the pub and have a drink, or we
could go to the cinema.
A
NDREW
: Which would you prefer?
K
IM
: I don’t mind really.
A

NDREW
: Well, let’s go to the pub, then, shall we?
K
IM
: OK!
Dialogue 2
Meanwhile, Sarah and John are having a similar discussion, but
they’re hungry!
S
ARAH
: Shall we eat in or go out for a meal?
J
OHN
: I don’t know – I can’t decide.
S
ARAH
: Why don’t we go to the Trattoria – the food’s nice
there.
J
OHN
: No, I don’t really feel like Italian food tonight.
S
ARAH
: How about trying the new Chinese restaurant in the
High Street, then?
J
OHN
: OK, I’ll get my shoes on.
S
ARAH

: And you’d better get your wallet as well – you’re
paying!
Dialogue 3
Mike and Sandra have got some friends from Belgium, Koen and
Kim, staying with them.
M
IKE
: What shall we do with Koen and Kim this evening?
S
ANDRA
: How about eating out?
M
IKE
: Yes. Or we could eat in, and then take them out for
a drink.
S
ANDRA
: I don’t feel up to cooking tonight. Why don’t we go
around some of the pubs in town, then we can end up
at the Indian for a late dinner?
M
IKE
: Great idea. They can try out Indian food, and we can
get a taxi back home.
S
ANDRA
: I’ll go and ask them what they think.
Dialogue 4
Andy phones Bob, whose wife Nina is Danish, with a suggestion.
A

NDY
: Are you free tonight, Bob?
B
OB
: Why – what did you have in mind?
A
NDY
: There’s a Danish film on at the Arts Cinema.
B
OB
: Really?
A
NDY
: Yes – I thought Nina might like to come along.
B
OB
: Sounds like a great idea, but I’ll check with her first.
Hang on a moment . . . [Bob goes off for a minute,
then comes back] Hello, Andy?
A
NDY
: Yes.
B
OB
: That’s fine. When does the film start?
A
NDY
: Eight. Shall we meet up at 7.30 in the cinema café?
B
OB

: Perfect. See you later.
A
NDY
: Bye.
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Dialogue 5
Later, Andy, Bob and Nina arrive at the cinema. There’s a huge
queue!
B
OB
: Look! The place is going to be packed out!
A
NDY
: What shall we do? Wait and see if we get in, or give
up and come another day?
B
OB
:[looks at his watch] Oh, I can’t be bothered waiting.

Let’s go to the pub.
A
NDY
: Fine. I wouldn’t mind having a drink – I’m quite
thirsty, actually. What do you think, Nina?
N
INA
: OK by me. We can discuss Danish cinema over some
beers, can’t we?
Language point 29 – making suggestions
to do things
There are a number of ways of making a suggestion to someone to
do something. Three of the most common are:
Shall we . . . ? (followed by the
BASE
-
FORM
of the verb)
Why don’t we . . . ? (followed by the
BASE
-
FORM
of the verb)
and
How about . . . ? (followed by the
ING
-
FORM
of the verb)
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Idiom
• Hang on a moment means ‘Wait a moment’
Idioms
• packed out means ‘completely full of people’
• I can’t be bothered (doing) means ‘I’m not really interested in
(doing)’ or ‘I don’t want to make the effort to (do)’
So:
Shall we go out tonight?
or Why don’t we go out tonight?
or How about going out tonight?
You can agree to someone else’s suggestion by using any of these
expressions:
OK (, then) Why not?
Good idea All right (, then)
If you don’t want to do what the other person suggests, you can say
one of the following:
. . . I don’t want to
. . . I don’t really feel like (doing) that
No (thanks), . . . I’d rather do something else
. . . let’s think of something else
. . . let’s do something else
You can make a more definite suggestion by using Let’s . . . (with
BASE
-
FORM
of the verb). Here are some examples:
Let’s stay in tonight
Let’s go and see if Jeremy’s in
Let’s phone for a pizza
When you make a suggestion using Let’s . . . , you can always

check if it’s okay with the person you’re speaking to by adding the
tag . . . , shall we?
Let’s stay in tonight, shall we?
Let’s go and see if Jeremy’s in, shall we?
Let’s phone for a pizza, shall we?
Exercise 1
Complete the suggestions, using the right form of the verb. The first
one has been done for you.
1 How about (drive
/driving) to the seaside?
2 Why don’t we (watch/watching) a film on DVD?
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3 Shall we (buy/buying) an ice cream?
4 How about (take/taking) a walk in the park?
5 Shall we (catch/catching) a bus into town?
6 How about (meet/meeting) James and Terry for a drink?
7 How about (play/playing) a game of snooker?
8 Why don’t we (phone/phoning) Jane to see if she’s free?

9 Shall we (stay/staying) in tonight?
10 How about (go/going) for a swim?
Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with the right words in these suggestions and
responses. The first one has been done for you.
1 Shall we
get a takeaway? No, I don’t feel like that today.
2 How ___ going shopping? ___ idea!
3 ___ ___ having a walk into ___, ___ do something else.
town?
4 ___ don’t ___ go fishing? ___!
5 Shall ___ order some food? All right ___ .
6 ___ we organise a party? Why ___ ?
7 ___ ___ hiring some bikes? No, I’d ___ do something else.
8 Why ___ ___ call on Jerry? Good ___!
9 ___ about listening to some No, I don’t ___ to.
music?
10 ___ ___ go to the pub? ___ then, let’s do that.
Exercise 3
Make the following suggestions to someone using the words given.
The first one has been done for you.
1 go to the cinema How about going to the cinema?
(how)
2 go swimming ___________________________ ?
(shall)
3 organise a party ___________________________ ?
(let’s)
4 practise our English ___________________________ ?
(why)
5 wash the car ___________________________ ?

(shall)
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