Making suggestions and offers in English is a skill you will use every day, whether you are helping a friend, planning an evening, or deciding what to eat. Understanding the difference between shall, what about, and how about gives you three flexible structures to communicate your ideas clearly and naturally.
How do you use shall to make offers and suggestions?
The word shall works specifically with two pronouns: I and we. Using it with other pronouns like you or she is uncommon in modern English [0:32]. The key distinction is simple:
- Shall I is used to offer something.
- Shall we is used to make a suggestion or invitation.
After shall, the verb always appears in the infinitive form (the base form without to). Here are some practical examples [1:00]:
- "Shall I help you with the essay?" — you are offering your help to someone who is frustrated.
- "Shall we go to the supermarket?" — you notice there is no food and suggest going shopping.
- "Shall I buy a new one?" — another offer.
- "Shall we stay home?" — a suggestion when someone is too tired to go out.
- "Shall I prepare dinner?" — an offer to cook.
Notice how the context tells you whether the sentence is an offer or a suggestion. When you do something for someone, it is an offer. When you propose an activity together, it is a suggestion.
What is the difference between what about and how about?
Both what about and how about serve the same purpose: making suggestions [2:24]. They are interchangeable, and the important grammar rule is that the verb after about must be in the gerund form — the -ing form of the verb.
- "What about helping them?"
- "How about going to the supermarket?"
- "What about buying a new one?"
- "How about staying home?"
- "What about preparing dinner?"
These structures are slightly more casual than shall and very common in everyday conversation. You can choose whichever feels more natural to you.
How should you answer suggestions and offers?
When someone uses shall, what about, or how about, the simplest and most complete answer is "Yes, let's" [3:14]. For example:
- "Shall we go to the supermarket?" — "Yes, let's."
- "How about preparing dinner?" — "Yes, let's."
Of course, there are other natural responses you can use:
- "Sure, that's a good idea."
- "Of course, let's do that."
All of these are correct and complete. The important thing is to respond with confidence.
Can you practice with real situations?
Try forming your own suggestions or offers for each scenario below [3:45]. Decide whether shall I, shall we, what about, or how about fits best:
- "I'm very tired today."
- "Your room is messy."
- "It's his birthday tomorrow."
- "I'm hungry."
- "He invited us to a party."
- "We have a math test next week."
For instance, if someone says "I'm hungry," you could respond with "Shall I prepare something?" or "How about ordering pizza?" The choice depends on whether you want to offer your help or suggest a joint action.
Practicing with real situations like these helps you internalize the structures so they come out naturally in conversation. Share your answers and see how many different combinations you can create.
