explain on why

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "explain on why" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form would be "explain why" without the preposition "on." Example: "Can you explain why the project was delayed?"

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

As to the suicide deceased group, perhaps the perceived need of psychiatric service is the missing link to explain on why a large proportion of suicide deceased group did not make use of the services.

BMC Public Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

We strongly believe in Product Hunt's vision," Sinofsky explained on why A16Z chose to invest.

TechCrunch

That should make you wonder why such a good team got a No. 11 seed, with Mechelle Voepel explaining on ESPN.com why the Zags should be more highly regarded.

The New York Times - Sports

And Michael Rosenberg explains on SI.com why that won't happen.

The New York Times - Sports

Even a day later, it is still worth appreciating Wednesday night's amazing season finale, with Joe Posnanski explaining on SI.com why it was so magical.

The New York Times

In a frank opinion article for The New York Times, Greg Smith, a Goldman Sachs executive, explained on Wednesday why he was resigning from the firm.

The New York Times

When Senate Budget Committee Chair Kent Conrad explained on May 19 why he wasn't taking a budget proposal to the Senate floor, he may have said too much.

Huffington Post

Stratfor, a global intelligence group, explained on Saturday why it was significant that the jihadist world had so far been quiet about the plane.

Vice

"It's like how the right wine marries with what you eat," explained Mr. Carbó, on why he exhibited Mr. Bellès's work with that of Mr. Udaeta.

The New York Times - Travel

explains Bethencourt on why he jumped the XPrize ship to help build out this new accelerator program.

TechCrunch

If you need a detailed explainer on why the virulently right-wing, race-baiting, divisive publication has earned so many enemies, Google Hillsborough (as a start, at least).

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "explain on why". The correct phrasing is simply "explain why". For example, instead of "Can you explain on why this happened?", say "Can you explain why this happened?"

Common error

Be aware of redundant prepositions. Using "on" after "explain" when asking for a reason is unnecessary and grammatically incorrect. Stick to the concise and correct form: "explain why."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "explain on why" functions as an attempt to seek clarification or justification. As noted by Ludwig, the expression is grammatically incorrect.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Formal & Business

33%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "explain on why" is considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI highlights the correct form is "explain why". While examples of its use exist, they are infrequent, and the phrase should be avoided in formal writing. It's recommended to use alternatives like "explain why", "clarify why", or "provide reasons for" to ensure grammatical correctness and clarity. The phrase is more common in general contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

explain why

This is the grammatically correct and most direct way to ask for or provide an explanation.

provide an explanation of why

A more formal and verbose way of saying "explain why".

clarify why

Emphasizes making the reason more clear and understandable.

offer insight into why

Suggests giving a deeper understanding of the underlying reasons.

elaborate on the reasons why

Suggests a more detailed and thorough explanation.

give reasons for

Focuses on providing a set of justifications or causes.

account for the reasons

Implies providing a comprehensive explanation that considers all factors.

justify the rationale behind

Highlights the need to defend or validate the reasoning.

detail the cause of

Focuses on a cause-and-effect relationship.

spell out the reasons for

Implies making the reasons very clear and explicit, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use "explain" when asking for a reason?

The correct way is to use "explain why" without the extra preposition. For example, say "Explain why this is happening" instead of "Explain on why this is happening".

What can I say instead of "explain on why"?

The grammatically correct alternative is to use "explain why". Other options include "clarify why" or "give the reasons for".

Is "explain on why" grammatically correct?

No, "explain on why" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing is simply "explain why".

Which is correct, "explain why" or "explain on why"?

"Explain why" is correct. The preposition "on" is unnecessary and makes the phrase grammatically incorrect.