Missing preposition: explain (to)

Leaving out the preposition to after verbs like explain often makes sentences ambiguous or ungrammatical. Add to when you name the recipient. If no recipient is intended, rewrite with a how/why clause for clarity.

If your sentence names who receives the explanation, use to + recipient. If it doesn't, either add the recipient or rephrase the sentence so the meaning is clear.

Quick answer - when to add to

Add to when you name the recipient (the person or group who receives the explanation). If you don't name a recipient, rewrite using how or why instead of omitting to.

Yes: "Explain the plan to me." (recipient = me)
No (rewrite): "Explain how the plan works." (no explicit recipient)
Rule of thumb: Ask WHAT → WHO? If you can answer WHO, include to + recipient.

Core explanation + quick grammar notes

When explain names both what is explained and who receives it, use the pattern: explain + (what) + to + (who). Unlike give or send, explain does not take a direct-person object (so "explain me" is nonstandard).

With pronouns keep the same order: "Explain it to me." Passive: "The plan was explained to the board."

Pattern: explain + NP (what) + to + NP (recipient).
Wrong: "Explain me the rules." →
Right: "Explain the rules to me."
Pronouns: correct - "Explain it to her." incorrect - "Explain her it."

Real usage and tone - when omission is tolerable

In casual conversation you can sometimes omit to if the listener is obvious: "Explain it later" when speaking directly to one person. In written or multi-person contexts, omission usually creates confusion.

Adding to + recipient increases clarity and politeness in professional or group settings.

Casual spoken: omission can be fine if the recipient is obvious from context.
Formal/written: include to + recipient when you mean a specific person or group.
Omission often makes a sentence feel clipped or unfinished.

Examples - wrong / right pairs (work, school, casual)

Replace the object and recipient with your own content. Keep the same structure to fix sentences quickly.

Work (wrong): "Please explain the report." (right): "Please explain the report to me."
Work (wrong): "She explained project timeline." (right): "She explained the project timeline to the team."
Work (wrong): "We explained the software update." (right): "We explained the software update to our clients."
Work (wrong): "Explain the demo." (right): "Explain the demo to the stakeholders."
School (wrong): "Explain photosynthesis." (right): "Explain photosynthesis to the class."
School (wrong): "He explained his answer." (right): "He explained his answer to the teacher."
School (wrong): "Explain the theorem." (right): "Explain the theorem to the students with an example."
Casual (wrong): "Explain what happened." (right): "Explain what happened to me."
Casual (wrong): "They explained the issue." (right): "They explained the issue to their neighbor."
Casual (wrong): "Could you explain the plan?" (right): "Could you explain the plan to me?"
General (wrong): "Explain me the rules." (right): "Explain the rules to me."

Fix your sentence - three quick repairs + rewrite examples

Three-step repair: (1) Ask "Who receives this explanation?" (2) If there is a recipient, add to + recipient after the object. (3) If there is no recipient, rewrite with how/why or add detail.

Checklist: Identify recipient → insert to + recipient → or replace object with an explanatory clause.
Read your revision aloud to check clarity, especially in group settings.

Rewrite 1: Original: "Please explain the process." Fixes: "Please explain the process to me." / "Please explain how the process works."
Rewrite 2: Original: "Explain this." Fixes: "Explain this to the new hires so they can start tomorrow." / "Explain what this does and why it matters."
Rewrite 3: Original: "Explain why it failed." Fix: "Explain to the team why the test failed and what we'll change next."
Rewrite 4: Original: "Can you explain the differences?" Fixes: "Can you explain the differences to the admissions committee?" / "Can you explain how the two options differ?"

Try your own sentence

Test the whole sentence, not just the phrase. Context usually makes the right choice clear.

Memory trick - fast ways to avoid the mistake

Use the WHAT → WHO test: whenever you see explain + noun, ask "Who?" If you can answer, add to + recipient. If you can't, rephrase with how/why.

Mnemonic: "WHAT to WHO" - keep it on your editing checklist until it feels natural.

Search your document for "explain " and check what follows each time.
When editing an email, default to including to + recipient unless you intentionally avoid naming them.

Similar mistakes to watch for

Verbs such as tell, show, describe, and teach can also take an indirect object. Some verbs allow the double-object pattern ("I told him the news"), but explain requires to when naming the recipient after the object.

Avoid "explain me" (nonstandard) and watch for awkward commas that separate object and recipient.

Wrong: "Describe the plan me." →
Right: "Describe the plan to me."
Tell: "Tell him the news" is fine; Explain: "Explain the news to him" or "explain how the news affects him."
Show: "Show the demo to the client." You can also say "show the client the demo" if you prefer the indirect-object-before-direct-object form.
Wrong: "Teach the lesson the students." →
Right: "Teach the lesson to the students."

Hyphenation & spacing (typography that affects clarity)

Punctuation can change emphasis but not the need for to. Keep the to + recipient adjacent to the thing being explained: "Explain the plan to the client."

Avoid unnecessary commas that separate object and recipient unless you want a deliberate pause or formal tone: "Explain, to the client, the plan." looks stiff and can be awkward.

Preferred: "Explain the process to me." (compact and clear)
Avoid: "Explain, to the team, the schedule." unless using parenthetical emphasis
Spacing: Good: "Please explain the process to me." Bad: "Please explain the process, to me, today." (awkward commas)

Grammar details for editors

Explain normally takes a direct object (what) and a prepositional indirect object (to + who). Unlike give, explain does not reliably allow the double-object structure in standard English.

Passive constructions move the recipient into subject position: "The procedure was explained to the team." Pronoun ordering: "Explain it to me" is correct.

Do: "Explain the rules to new hires." Don't: "Explain new hires the rules."
Passive: "The policy was explained to employees."
Pronouns: "Explain it to her" not "Explain her it."

FAQ

Do I always need to use "to" after "explain"?

No - only when you explicitly name the recipient. If there's no recipient, rewrite with how/why (e.g., "explain how the system works") or include the recipient with to for clarity.

Is "explain me" ever correct?

No. Standard English does not use explain with a direct-person object. Use "explain something to someone" or "explain to someone how something works."

Can I drop "to" in spoken conversation?

In very casual, immediate speech where the listener is obvious, speakers may omit it. In writing, emails, or group settings, include to + recipient to avoid confusion.

How should I fix "Please explain the process" in an email?

Either specify the recipient: "Please explain the process to me," or give detail without naming a recipient: "Please explain how the process works." The second option helps when multiple people will read the email.

What's the simplest editing check to catch this error?

Ask "Who is receiving this explanation?" If you can name someone, add to + recipient or rewrite into a how/why clause. Use the WHAT→WHO mnemonic during quick edits.

Quick edit before you send

Before you hit send, run the WHAT→WHO check: if you can name the recipient, add to + recipient or rewrite with how/why.

If you want a second pair of eyes, paste a problematic sentence into a grammar checker to flag missing prepositions and get context-aware rewrites - then confirm the suggestion matches your intended recipient.