Learn English – Can ‘suggesting’ (a gerund) be followed by a pronoun and an infinitive verb

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I have read that suggest (the verb) is never followed by a pronoun and an infinitive verb.

Can suggesting (the gerund) be followed by a pronoun and an infinitive
verb?

I have read:

Adriana flew down to India despite all the words of caution she got at home, suggesting he could be fake or a con man, etc.

Thanks in advance.

Best Answer

The rule is actually that suggest (or suggesting) is never followed by an object pronoun. Nor is suggest followed by an infinitive verb. The sentence you quoted is perfectly correct. The key part:

...suggesting he could be fake...

This phrasing does comply with the first of three proper uses of suggest, thanks again to English Teacher Melanie:

subject + suggest + (that) + subject + subjunctive

The word that is omitted in your phrase, but it is there in spirit. As Melanie says it is optional.

...suggesting that he could be fake...

He is the subject pronoun of the that-clause. The verb be is in the subjunctive mood, looking very similar to the infinitive form, but of course there is no to. Could is an auxiliary verb expressing possibility.

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