ENGLISH
REFERENCE

put sth forward

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to suggest an idea, plan, or person so that other people can consider or discuss them.

phr. v.. to propose a theory, suggestion, or candidate for consideration; often used in formal or professional contexts to initiate a debate or selection process.


SIMPLE

She put forward a new plan for the project.

CONTEXTUAL

During the meeting, several members put forward interesting ideas for the upcoming charity event.

COMPLEX

The committee decided to put forward his name as a potential candidate for the directorship despite his lack of seniority.

Particles
forward
Separability
optional
Pattern
put (+ object) + forward (+ object)
Usage

the object is usually an abstract noun like 'idea', 'suggestion', or 'theory', or a person's name.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'propose' (more formal) and 'suggest' (more general); note that 'put forward' is common in academic and business writing to introduce hypotheses.

Pitfall

He put forward to the idea.He put forward the idea.the verb is transitive and takes a direct object without the preposition 'to'.

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