please discard

USAGE SUMMARY

"Please discard" is correct and usable in written English.
It is used to politely ask someone to throw something away or get rid of it. For example: "Please discard this envelope once you are finished with it."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

If the bird is in poor condition, please discard it, double bagged in your household garbage.

The New York Times

Please discard or correct the erroneous statement accordingly.

F1000Research

If you do not want the beef juice in this recipe, please discard the oil (drain it from the ground beef) into a can or a disposable container before moving onto the next step.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Please do not discard these assets, certainly not in the present period of so many uncertainties about several international initiatives," the letter adds.

Science Magazine

Please, don't discard this letter without reading it through.

Huffington Post

"Please immediately remove and discard the OnLive coupon from all Regular PC versions of Deus Ex: Human Revolution," it read.

TechCrunch

Please note that we cannot discard that additional runs would provide other overlooked regulatory regions and, at some point, also false positives.

Bioinformatics

Each state and territory is littered with its own discarded food chains, so please add to the list of obituaries in the comments section below.

The Guardian - Opinion

The romantic idea of putting a message in a bottle has been industrialised, mass produced; as a result the plea contained in each - please dispose of sensibly - is ignored, discarded.

The Guardian - Travel

P.S. Please know that there will be no hard feelings when you discard this letter and decide to hire a 20-something who doesn't mind living for their job.

Huffington Post

Once your store sells through its current stock of this item, please remove any empty DS Onyx display boxes (onyx color only) from the sales floor and discard.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "please discard", consider the context and audience. For formal settings, ensure the phrase is appropriate and not overly casual. In instructional manuals, use it to clearly direct the disposal of items.

Common error

While "please discard" is polite, avoid using it excessively in informal conversations. Simpler phrases like "throw it away" or "get rid of it" are often more natural and suitable.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "please discard" functions as an imperative, specifically a polite request or instruction. As Ludwig AI explains, it is used to politely ask someone to throw something away or get rid of it. The examples provided in Ludwig show it used in various contexts, from handling potentially hazardous materials to recipe instructions.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "please discard" is a polite imperative phrase used to request the disposal of an item. As Ludwig AI points out, it's considered grammatically correct and serves to instruct someone to throw something away in a courteous manner. Though categorized as rare in frequency based on the current data, its use spans across contexts like news, science, and how-to guides. While versatile, "please discard" tends to be more appropriate in neutral to professional settings, and can be replaced with more informal alternatives like "please throw away" in casual conversation. When using "please discard", remember to consider the context and choose the wording that best suits your audience and situation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

kindly dispose of

Replaces "please" with "kindly" and "discard" with "dispose of" for a slightly more formal tone.

please throw away

Substitutes "discard" with the more common and informal "throw away".

please get rid of

Uses the phrasal verb "get rid of" as a less direct but equally polite alternative to "discard".

please eliminate

Replaces "discard" with "eliminate", suggesting a more thorough removal or rejection.

feel free to discard

Offers permission to discard something, rather than directly instructing it.

please remove

A broader term than "discard", implying taking something away, which may or may not involve disposal.

we ask that you discard

A more formal way of requesting disposal, often used in official instructions.

please reject

Focuses on refusing to accept something, rather than physically disposing of it.

please scrap

Suggests discarding something because it is no longer useful or functional.

please delete

Specifically refers to removing digital content or data.

FAQs

What does "please discard" mean?

The phrase "please discard" is a polite way of asking someone to throw something away or get rid of it.

When is it appropriate to use "please discard"?

It's appropriate to use "please discard" when you want to politely instruct someone to dispose of something, such as in instructions or formal requests. A similar alternative could be "kindly dispose of".

Are there more informal alternatives to "please discard"?

Yes, more informal alternatives include "please throw away" or "please get rid of", which are suitable for casual conversations.

Can I use "please discard" in formal writing?

Yes, "please discard" is suitable for formal writing, but consider even more formal alternatives like "we ask that you discard" if the context requires it.