The short answer
Discuss is a transitive verb — it takes a direct object with no preposition between the verb and its object. “About” is unnecessary because the meaning of discussing something is already built into the verb itself.
What is a transitive verb?
A transitive verb takes a direct object directly — no preposition bridge is needed or allowed. Compare with an intransitive verb, which takes no object at all, or a verb that requires a preposition (like listen to, agree with).
Transitive (no preposition)
discuss the plan
Intransitive (no object)
She arrived.
Prepositional (needs prep)
listen to music
Wrong vs. Right
Wrong
Let us discuss about the plan.
Right
Let us discuss the plan.
Wrong
They discussed about the problem for hours.
Right
They discussed the problem for hours.
Wrong
The committee discussed about the report.
Right
The committee discussed the report.
9 More Transitive Verbs That Need No Preposition
These are all commonly used with a wrong preposition in Indian English — and all are tested in SSC and IBPS:
| Verb | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|
| discuss | discuss about the issue | discuss the issue |
| reach | reached to the station | reached the station |
| enter | entered into the room | entered the room |
| mention | mentioned about the meeting | mentioned the meeting |
| order | ordered for a coffee | ordered a coffee |
| request | requested for a leave | requested a leave |
| comprise | comprises of ten chapters | comprises ten chapters |
| stress | stressed on the point | stressed the point |
| emphasise | emphasised on the need | emphasised the need |
Note: ‘talk about’ vs ‘discuss’
If you want to use “about”, switch to the verb talk: “Let us talk about the plan.” This is correct because “talk” is intransitive and requires the preposition “about”.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'discuss about' correct English?+
No. 'Discuss about' is incorrect. 'Discuss' is a transitive verb — it takes a direct object with no preposition. Say 'Let us discuss the plan' not 'Let us discuss about the plan'. The word 'about' is unnecessary and grammatically wrong after 'discuss'.
Why is 'discuss about' wrong?+
'Discuss' already carries the meaning of talking about something — the preposition 'about' is built into the verb's meaning. Adding 'about' after 'discuss' is redundant. This is similar to saying 'mention about' or 'consider about' — all wrong for the same reason. The fix: drop 'about' and put the topic directly after the verb.
Which verbs cannot be followed by 'about'?+
These common transitive verbs take a direct object with no preposition: discuss (discuss the issue), reach (reached the station), enter (entered the room), mention (mentioned the problem), consider (consider the option), stress (stress the importance), describe (describe the scene). Never add 'about', 'to', or 'into' after these verbs.
Read Next
Prepositions Guide
40+ fixed collocations — married to, die of, angry with
Married To or Married With?
The preposition rule in full — a fixed collocation error, not a verb error
Indian English Errors Hub
All 12 Indianisms — why they exist and what to say instead
Why Is 'Can Able To' Wrong?
Double modal — the most-marked Indian error
Why Is 'Cope Up With' Wrong?
Phantom particles in Indian English