Let’s Discuss “Discuss”

The Word Types That Follow It (and Those That Never Should)

CEFR Level: B1 & Higher

Preface:

In business English, clarity is not just preferred—it’s expected. Yet even seasoned professionals occasionally stumble over deceptively simple verbs. Discuss is one of the most commonly misused. This post clarifies exactly how to use it with precision—and why certain word types should never follow it.

What Makes Discuss Unique

The verb discuss is a transitive verb, which means:

•It must be followed by a direct object

•It never needs a preposition like about, on, or regarding

Correct Usage Examples

•Let’s discuss the proposal.

•We discussed next quarter’s projections.

•She wants to discuss her role on the project.

Incorrect Usage Examples

•Let’s discuss about the proposal

•We discussed on the projections

•She wants to discuss about her role

Why is this incorrect? Because discuss already includes the meaning of “about.” Adding a preposition is both redundant and grammatically incorrect.

Etymology Insight: Why Discuss Doesn’t Take “About”

Origin:

Late Middle English (in the sense ‘dispel, disperse’, also ‘examine by argument’): from Latin discuss- ‘dashed to pieces’, later ‘investigated’, from the verb discutere, from dis- ‘apart’ + quatere ‘shake’.

— Oxford English Dictionary

Historically, discuss meant to shake something apart intellectually—to investigate or examine it in detail. That analytical quality is still built into the word’s meaning. There’s no need to add about. You are already unpacking the subject when you use discuss.

Word Types You Can Use After Discuss

Here are the correct types of words that naturally follow discuss:

1. Nouns

•We discussed strategy, performance, the merger.

2. Noun Phrases

•They discussed the unexpected client feedback.

•I’d like to discuss our expansion into Southeast Asia.

3. Gerunds (-ing forms used as nouns)

•We discussed restructuring the department.

•She discussed launching a regional office.

Note: In these examples, the gerund functions as a noun object.

What Not to Use After Discuss

Avoid using:

•Prepositions such as about, on, or regarding

•Infinitives (to hire, to change)

•Conjunctions such as if, that, or whether without rephrasing

Instead of:

We discussed if we should raise prices.

Use:

We discussed whether we should raise prices.

Why This Matters

Subtle errors like these are often the ones that undermine otherwise strong communication. While they may seem small, they quietly signal a lack of control over professional English. In emails, meetings, interviews, or formal writing, these nuances distinguish competent English from truly confident, refined communication.

Final Thought

At Learn-Hive, we help professionals move beyond functional English into precision-crafted language. The kind of English that performs in high-stakes meetings, boardrooms, and cross-cultural conversations.

Understanding verbs like discuss—and understanding what follows them—reflects more than grammatical knowledge. It demonstrates clarity of thought.

And in business, clarity is everything.