what about doing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "what about doing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to suggest or inquire about the possibility of engaging in a specific action or activity. Example: "What about doing a team-building exercise this weekend to improve our collaboration?"

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

25 human-written examples

What about doing a Broadway show?

The New York Times

You said, what about doing this?

The New York Times

God asks: what about doing factory work?

The New Yorker

God asks him: what about doing agrarian cultivation?

The New Yorker

Me What about doing press conferences in my head?

The Guardian - Sport

And she said what about doing a picture within a picture, which was quite common.

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

35 human-written examples

What about Don't Ask Don't Tell?

Huffington Post

What about do-it-yourself planning?

Forbes

What about that don't you get?

The New York Times

What about visitors — do they help?

The New York Times

What about her do you find beautiful?

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "what about doing" to introduce a suggestion or idea in a discussion, encouraging collaborative thinking and exploration of possibilities.

Common error

Avoid using "what about doing" in highly formal or academic writing. Instead, opt for more structured and professional alternatives like "have you considered", or "it may be beneficial to consider".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "what about doing" functions as a suggestion or inquiry to introduce an action or activity for consideration. Ludwig AI indicates that it's usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

95%

Formal & Business

2%

Wiki

1%

Less common in

Science

1%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "what about doing" is a common and grammatically sound way to introduce suggestions or inquiries, according to Ludwig. It is primarily used in news and media contexts, with a neutral register suitable for most informal to semi-formal discussions. For formal or academic settings, consider alternatives such as "have you considered". "What about doing" serves to prompt collaborative thinking and exploration of ideas, and is a versatile tool for initiating conversations about potential actions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

how about doing

Uses "how" instead of "what", slightly altering the tone but maintaining the suggestion.

why don't we do

Proposes a direct action as a suggestion.

what if we do

Changes the structure to a conditional question, proposing an action.

have you considered doing

Poses the suggestion as a question about prior consideration.

would you consider doing

More formal, directly asks if someone would consider an action.

what would you say to doing

Presents a proposal in a conversational manner.

ever thought about doing

Inquires if someone has ever considered an action.

what are your thoughts on doing

Seeks an opinion on the possibility of doing something.

what's your take on doing

Informally asks for someone's opinion.

let's think about doing

Suggests a collective consideration of an action.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "what about doing" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases such as "have you considered doing", "it may be beneficial to consider doing", or "what are your thoughts on undertaking".

What's a more direct alternative to "what about doing"?

If you want to be more direct, try phrases like "let's do", "why don't we do", or "we should consider doing".

How do I use "what about doing" in a sentence?

You can use "what about doing" to introduce a suggestion or idea. For example, "What about doing a team-building activity next week?"

What's the difference between "what about doing" and "how about doing"?

"What about doing" and "how about doing" are very similar. "How about doing" might imply a more casual or open-ended suggestion, while "what about doing" can be slightly more direct or inquisitive.