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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak quote

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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please don't hang up

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Oh, please don't hang up.

News & Media

The New Yorker

H.H. And please don't hang up.

News & Media

The New Yorker

"But you thought calling was O.K.?" "Did you say you were the nanny?" "Goodbye, Mr. — " "No, Miles, please don't hang up.

News & Media

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

"Please Do Not Hang, Smoke, Drink, Party, Scream, in Our Yard!!!! Respect the Beach".

News & Media

Los Angeles Times

Finally: "Don't hang up.

News & Media

The New York Times

Russo -- Don't hang up.

News & Media

The New York Times

"Don't hang up," Mrs. McGinnis pleaded.

News & Media

The New York Times

A different male voice came on: "Don't hang up.

News & Media

The New York Times

"Hey, don't hang up on me, Elliot.

News & Media

The New Yorker

Don't hang up, OK?

News & Media

Huffington Post

Don't hang up! Congrats.

News & Media

Vice
Show more...

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In emergency or professional contexts, follow the request with a clear reason (e.g., "Stay on the line so I can verify your address") to ensure compliance.

Common error

Writers sometimes use "hang up" when they mean "hang on". "Hang on" is a request for the listener to wait briefly, while "hang up" refers to ending the call entirely. Ensure you are not asking someone to terminate the call when you actually want them to wait.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

80%

Authority and reliability

4.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase "please don't hang up" functions as a negative imperative request. According to Ludwig, it serves to prevent a specific action (disconnecting a telephonic communication). The inclusion of "please" acts as a politeness marker, which is essential for transforming a command into a request.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Wiki

35%

Reference

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Social Media

3%

Academia

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "please don't hang up" is a vital linguistic tool used to preserve communication channels during a phone call. Ludwig AI indicates that although it is statistically "Rare" in terms of literal exact matches in large corpora, it is a highly idiomatic expression found in high-quality sources like The New Yorker and The New York Times. It is most commonly used in narrative contexts to convey urgency or in instructional contexts (like WikiHow) to guide telephone etiquette. When writing, it is important to distinguish it from "hang on", which implies a temporary pause rather than preventing a total disconnection. Overall, it remains the standard way to ask a listener to stay on the line.

FAQs

How do I use "please don't hang up" in a sentence?

You can use it at the start of a difficult conversation to ensure the listener stays, such as: "Wait, please don't hang up, I have something important to say."

What is a more professional way to say "please don't hang up"?

In a business setting, it is better to say "please stay on the line" or "please remain on the line".

Is "please don't hang up" grammatically correct?

Yes, it is a perfectly correct negative imperative sentence. It combines the politeness marker "please" with the contraction "don't" and the phrasal verb "hang up".

What is the difference between "please don't hang up" and "don't hang up the phone"?

There is no functional difference, but adding "the phone" as in "don't hang up the phone" makes the object of the verb explicit.

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Source & Trust

80%

Authority and reliability

4.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: