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Prepositions after verbs

Discuss with and discuss in

Discuss with introduces the person you talk to. In usually adds a place, meeting, or context.

Quick answer

Discuss with or discuss in?

Use discuss with for the person involved in the conversation. Discuss in is possible only when in introduces a context such as a meeting, report, or class.

discuss the issue with my manager
discussed in yesterday's meeting

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
discuss + topic

Talking about a subject

Discuss can take a direct object with no preposition.

discuss the budget
2
discuss + topic + with + person

Naming the other participant

Use with before the person you talk to.

discuss the plan with the team
3
discussed in + place/context

Showing where discussion happened

In can introduce a meeting, article, or class.

The proposal was discussed in Parliament

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
discuss with
I discussed the delay with the client.
talk about something with someone
discuss in
The topic was discussed in class.
shows the place or context of discussion
discuss about
We discussed the problem.
About is usually unnecessary after discuss
discuss + object
They discussed salaries.
standard direct-object pattern

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Adding about after discuss

Discuss already includes the idea of about.

✕ We discussed about the problem. ✓ We discussed the problem.

Using in for the person

Use with for the person involved.

✕ I discussed the issue in my boss. ✓ I discussed the issue with my boss.

Forgetting the object

Discuss normally needs a topic.

✕ We discussed with the team. ✓ We discussed the proposal with the team.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. I need to discuss the report ___ you.
2. The policy was discussed ___ the meeting.
3. Which sentence is correct? ___

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Frequently asked questions

Can discuss be used without with?

Yes. Discuss can directly take the topic as its object.

Is discuss in wrong?

No. It is correct when in introduces a place or context, not the person.

Do native speakers say discuss about?

It appears in some varieties, but standard English usually omits about.

dabble, in, dabble, with "damage to" or "damage by"? dance to, with, on, in or for? "dangle from" or "dangle in"? dare to, for, on, as or at? dash to, into, out, from or on? daydream about, for, in, of or on? "debate in", "debate on" or "debate with"? deceive by, in, into, on or about? "decide on", "decide to" or "decide by"? declare in, by, on, to or as? decline in, by, from, to or for?

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