Words in This Story

conversation – n. an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people

gerund – n. an English noun formed from a verb by adding -ing

imply – v. to express something without saying or showing it plainly

negative – n. a word or statement that means “no” or that expresses a denial or refusal

formal – adj. suitable for serious or official speech and writing

prefer – v. to like something better than something else

contraction – n. the act or process of making something smaller or of becoming smaller

decline – v. to say no to something in a polite way

polite – adj. having or showing good manners or respect for other people

practice – v. to do something again and again in order to become better at it

Giving and asking for recommendations

Have you ever wanted to recommend a person, their services or even a good restaurant to
someone else but didn’t know how to do it? Have you ever wanted someone to recommend you
to others? Maybe you have a special skill that you’d like others to know about. You might have
heard about a position, but need someone to recommend you in order to apply. Perhaps you just
want to share some useful information with others and want them to know how much you liked
it. All of these situations require us to give or ask for recommendations. Below you’ll find some
examples of how to do this.
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Asking for recommendations:

 Could you put in a good word for me?
 Could you let others know about this experience?
 Could you pass this on to others?
 Would you mind sharing your experience?
 Would you add me to your contact list?

Giving recommendations:
 I highly recommend using this product / service.
  This person is highly trained / very skilled / very professional.
 We found the information presented very useful.
 I only have positive things to say about this product / this person / this service.
 I would be happy to give you their contact information.
 Please mention my name when you contact them.

Here are some examples:

Employee / colleague asking for a reference:

I am writing to you since we have worked on many projects together. You always seem very
pleased with my ideas and the way that I deal with problems that come up, so I would like to ask
you to share this information with a potential new supervisor. As you know, I am applying for a
position in the [name] department and I need a recommendation from someone who has worked
with me. Would you put in a good word for me?

Response to the request:

You are right, I am very satisfied with the work that you have done in the past. I’d be happy to
act as a reference for you since I think that the [name] department would also benefit from your
skills. If they contact me, I’ll definitely pass your name on as a potential candidate.

Possible reference statement:

I would be happy to recommend [name] for the position you are trying to fill. [He / she] is very
highly qualified and has always successfully dealt with the topics we have worked on together in
the past. I only have positive things to say about [him/ her]. Please mention my name to them if
you decide to shortlist them for an interview.

Try it and tell us about it

Now that you have some ideas about how to ask for and give recommendations, why not try it
out by asking a colleague for feedback on a presentation or a project you have recently
completed?