Vanessa teaches three question-shaped ways to suggest an alternative without sounding forceful. She begins with a real social situation: a friend suggests meeting at a bar-cafe that specializes in wine and beer, but Vanessa does not want to go because she cannot drink alcohol while expecting a baby. Rather than reject the friend’s plan bluntly, she demonstrates how to offer another place while keeping the friend involved in the choice. The same language can also soften disagreement in a business discussion.
The first frame is “What if…?” Vanessa models “What if we went to this other restaurant instead?” and “What if we went to the park instead?” The question invites the other person to consider a possibility, rather than presenting the speaker’s preference as a decision. She also applies it to work: if a colleague proposes a marketing plan, someone can ask, “What if we did this next month?” The structure is followed by a past-form verb in her examples—“went,” “came,” and “did”—even though the suggestion is about a possible future action.
Her second option is “How about if…?” It serves a similar purpose but gives learners another natural question pattern: “How about if we went to this other restaurant instead?” Vanessa explains that her friend may simply not have remembered the alcohol restriction, so a gentle suggestion is enough. She also uses “It probably didn’t cross her mind” to describe an idea that the friend likely had not considered. In a meeting, “How about if we choose this other marketing plan instead?” proposes a change without accusing anyone of being wrong.
The third frame is “What do you think about…?” Vanessa uses it to focus explicitly on the other person’s opinion: “What do you think about this restaurant for dinner instead of that one?” This is useful when a speaker wants to offer a preference but leave room for discussion. The choice among the three frames depends on the moment, but all three make a suggestion feel more collaborative than “We have to do this.”
To practise, imagine changing a dinner plan, proposing a weekend activity, or offering a different work idea. Turn a direct statement into one of the three questions, then listen for how the wording gives the other person space to respond. The expressions help learners disagree or redirect plans politely without hiding their own needs.