In one embodiment, a method includes receiving unstructured text from a user of a social-networking system, determining whether the unstructured text includes a request for a recommendation, identifying one or more first entity names in the unstructured text, generating a structured query based upon the one or more first entity names, identifying, in the social graph, one or more second entity names corresponding to the structured query, and presenting the one or more second entity names and the unstructured text in a social context of the user. The unstructured text may include text of a post or message generated by the user on a social-networking system. A score may be generated based on the unstructured text to determine whether the text includes a request for recommendation using a machine-learning model based on comparison of the unstructured text to the one or more predetermined words associated with requests for recommendation.