wrong preposition: 'discuss about something' (discuss something)

Is "discuss about" correct? Short answer: usually not. Discuss normally takes a direct object (the topic), so add the topic directly: discuss the problem, not discuss about the problem.

Below: a clear rule, quick fixes, many ready-to-copy rewrites for work, school, and casual contexts, and short checks to edit your sentence fast.

Quick answer

Don't use discuss + about. Use discuss + object (discuss the agenda). Use discuss with / among / over when you need to name participants or the mode. Use talk about for informal phrasing.

Correct: Let's discuss the agenda.
Wrong: Let's discuss about the agenda.
If you mean "talk about", use talk about: We talked about the agenda.
If you need to name participants, use discuss with / among: Discuss the agenda with the team / Discuss it among yourselves.

Core explanation: the grammar behind discuss

Discuss is a transitive verb: it takes a direct object (discuss + topic). Adding about repeats the notion of topic and creates redundancy; standard English marks this as incorrect.

Other verbs differ: talk, chat, think, and worry commonly take about (talk about the plan), while review, analyze, and examine behave like discuss (review the plan, not review about the plan).

Pattern: discuss + noun / noun phrase (no about): discuss the report.
To name people: discuss the report with the team; discuss it among committee members.
Informal alternative: let's talk about the report.

Wrong: Let's discuss about the budget.
Right: Let's discuss the budget.
Usage: We'll talk about the budget later. We'll discuss the budget at tomorrow's meeting.

Real usage and tone: pick discuss, talk about, or discuss with

Discuss reads neutral-to-formal and fits meetings, emails, and essays. Talk about sounds conversational. Add with or among to show who participates.

Formal / work: Discuss the proposal at tomorrow's meeting.
Academic / school: The paper discusses recent findings on climate models.
Casual: Let's talk about dinner plans.

Work: Please discuss the timeline with the project manager.
School: We'll discuss the essay topics in class on Monday.
Casual: Can we talk about tonight's game later?

Common mistakes and quick spot tests

Many writers add about after discuss out of habit from verbs like talk. Use this quick test: if your verb is discuss, delete about and read the sentence - it usually improves.

Watch for double-marking: "discuss about X with Y" should be "discuss X with Y."

If you see "discuss about" → delete about and check meaning.
If you wrote "discuss about X with Y" → rewrite to "discuss X with Y".
If you meant a casual chat, swap in "talk about".

Wrong: We should discuss about your concerns with HR.
Right: We should discuss your concerns with HR.
Wrong: They discussed about the new policy among the staff.
Right: They discussed the new policy among the staff.

Examples you can copy: work, school, and casual

Swap names, times, or items to match your sentence. Each pair shows the common wrong form and a corrected version.

Work - Wrong: Let's discuss about the quarterly targets in the email thread.
Work - Right: Let's discuss the quarterly targets in the email thread.
Work - Usage: Please discuss the vendor options with procurement before Friday.
Work - Wrong: Employees should discuss about time-off requests with HR.
Work - Right: Employees should discuss time-off requests with HR.
School - Wrong: We will discuss about the experiment results next class.
School - Right: We will discuss the experiment results next class.
School - Usage: The paper discusses three key influences on student performance.
School - Wrong: Can we discuss about my grade after class?
School - Right: Can we discuss my grade after class?
Casual - Wrong: Let's discuss about where to meet tonight.
Casual - Right: Let's discuss where to meet tonight.
Casual - Usage: We can talk about the movie later if you want.
Casual - Wrong: Discussed about it with Sam - all good.
Casual - Right: Discussed it with Sam - all good.

How to fix your sentence: a short checklist

Step 1: If the sentence contains "discuss about", delete "about" and read again.
Step 2: If you need to name people involved, use "discuss X with Y" or "discuss X among Y".
Step 3: If the tone should be informal, replace discuss with "talk about" or "chat about".

Rewrite:
Original: Can we discuss about the proposal with the client? Fix: Can we discuss the proposal with the client?
Rewrite:
Original: I want to discuss about my grade. Fix: I want to discuss my grade. (Or informal: I want to talk about my grade.)
Rewrite:
Original: They discussed about hiring more staff. Fix: They discussed hiring more staff. Or: They discussed the hiring plan with HR.

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence rather than the phrase alone; context usually makes the right choice obvious.

Rewrites: three polished alternatives for common lines

Pick the rewrite that matches your context and plug in specifics.

Work (formal): Discuss the budget proposal with the finance team by Tuesday.
School (neutral): We'll discuss the results in tomorrow's seminar.
Casual (friendly): Let's talk about dinner plans after work.

Rewrite:
Wrong: Let's discuss about the client feedback.
Rewrite: Let's discuss the client feedback. (More
formal: Review the client feedback in tomorrow's meeting.)
Rewrite:
Wrong: Can we discuss about my thesis draft?
Rewrite: Can we discuss my thesis draft? (Or
casual: Can we talk about my thesis draft?)
Rewrite:
Wrong: They discussed about changing the syllabus.
Rewrite: They discussed changing the syllabus. (Or: The faculty discussed syllabus changes at the meeting.)

Memory tricks and tiny tests to stop the error

'Discuss = direct object' - expect a noun after discuss, not about + noun.
'Delete about, then read' - if deleting about leaves the sentence correct, you had an error.
If you need a preposition, switch to 'talk about' or 'think about'.

Usage: You wrote 'discuss about X'. Delete 'about' → 'discuss X' (correct).
Usage: Swap test: For an informal tone, swap 'discuss' for 'talk about' and keep 'about'.

Similar mistakes to watch for

Writers who add "about" after discuss often repeat the error with other verbs or confuse verbs that need different structures.

Review / analyze / examine - act like discuss: review the data (not review about the data).
Talk / chat / think / worry - take about: talk about the plan (keep about).
Debate - can use whether/over: debate the proposal, debate whether to approve it. "Debate about" is common in speech but often redundant.

Wrong: We reviewed about the results.
Right: We reviewed the results.
Usage: She worried about the exam. (worry needs about)
Usage: They debated the proposal / They debated whether to accept it. Prefer these over 'debated about'.

Formatting, spacing, punctuation, and small grammar notes

No special hyphenation rules apply to discuss. Focus on spacing and clarity instead.

Avoid redundant prepositions (about, on) and double-marking participants (discuss about X with Y).

Avoid double prepositions: 'discuss about X with Y' → 'discuss X with Y'.
No hyphens or special punctuation needed: keep spacing consistent: 'discuss the plan', not 'discussthe plan' or 'discussabout'.
Match tense in reporting verbs: The paper discusses, We discussed, They will discuss.

Usage: Spacing check: Don't write 'discussabout' or 'discuss about' (extra/missing space).
Usage: Tense check: Past: We discussed the results. Present: The team discusses options weekly.

FAQ

Is 'discuss about' ever correct?

In standard English, 'discuss about' is redundant and considered incorrect. You may hear it in casual speech, but avoid it in writing and formal speech; use 'discuss + topic' instead.

When should I use 'talk about' instead of 'discuss'?

Use 'talk about' for informal conversation. 'Discuss' is better for meetings, reports, and formal contexts. 'Talk' allows 'about'; 'discuss' does not.

Can I use 'discuss with' and 'discuss among'?

Yes. Use 'discuss X with Y' to name participants and 'discuss X among Y' to emphasize a group discussion.

What about verbs like review, analyze, or examine?

These verbs behave like discuss and take a direct object: say 'review the results' or 'analyze the data', not 'review about the results'.

How can I quickly check my sentence?

Delete 'about' after 'discuss' and read the sentence. If it still says what you mean, you're done. Otherwise choose 'talk about' (informal) or 'discuss X with Y' (specify participants).

Fix one sentence now

If you're unsure, paste the sentence into your editor and try the delete-test: remove 'about' after 'discuss' and see if the sentence still reads correctly. Use the rewrites above for quick fixes in emails, essays, or messages - small edits like this sharpen your writing.