please specify that

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "please specify that" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want someone to clarify or provide more details about a specific point or topic. Example: "In your report, please specify that the data was collected over a six-month period."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Please specify that you refer to Anopheles gambiae (Coetzee et al., 2013).

F1000Research

Reviewer 1 Page 2 lane 5: You write: "This megagenome with its billions of chromosome enables the species to create huge genetic diversity, which is not accessible for the asexual species" Please, specify that HGT is also present in asexual species (and in some cases in sexual species) and therefore allow them to create genetic diversity.

Biology Direct

In the memo portion, please specify that the donation is for Dr. Robin Farias-Eisner's Research.

The New York Times

He later followed up on LinkedIn: "Hey, if you plan on quoting me in your piece, please specify that I was wearing the expensive kind of Apple Watch, not the one for poors".

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

Though cord blood or cord derivatives were the least common among the categories we specifically asked about (11%), by coding the 'other, please specify' responses, we determined that 7% of biobanks store pathological body fluids (such as the peritoneal fluid that accumulates in ascites) and 3% store hair or toenails - two categories we had not anticipated to be this common.

Genome Medicine

Other please specify The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

If you instead believe that it fits into a broader category of tragedies that can/should be handle differently, please specify which events and what criteria should be used to select them.

TechCrunch

If you assess that you cannot influence them, please specify why?

BMC Family Practice

Q. Are there scenes or ideas in "A Separation" that were controversial in Iran? A. Please specify whether you mean for the regime or the society.

The New York Times

Please, specify the appropriate number, counting all wages, salaries, pensions and other incomes that come in [1 lowest decile 10 highest decile].' In our analyses, we used the above-mentioned scale variable (1-10) without any categorization.

BMC Public Health

Please specify the poly(A) tail length (looks like is more than 100-150-bp) that is not affected by Cap2.

eLife

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Consider the audience and adjust the level of formality. In formal settings, "could you please specify that" might be more appropriate.

Common error

Avoid using "please specify that" in casual conversation. Simpler alternatives like "can you tell me" or "what do you mean" are often more suitable.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "please specify that" functions as an imperative, urging the recipient to provide clarification or further details regarding a particular point or statement. As demonstrated by Ludwig, it's used to prompt for greater precision.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "please specify that" is an imperative phrase used to request clarification or more detailed information. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically correct and most suitable for neutral to professional contexts. Although it is not a very common phrase, its use is clear and direct when greater precision is needed. For more informal communication, simpler alternatives may be more appropriate.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

please clarify that

Replaces "specify" with "clarify", focusing on making something clearer, with a higher similarity score.

please indicate that

Uses "indicate" instead of "specify", implying a more general request for information.

please detail that

Substitutes "specify" with "detail", emphasizing a need for comprehensive information.

please explain that

Replaces "specify" with "explain", shifting the focus to providing reasons or understanding.

kindly specify that

Adds "kindly" to soften the request, making it more polite.

can you specify that

Changes the phrase to a question, offering a slightly less direct request.

could you please specify that

Combines "could you" and "please" for a more polite and formal request.

please be specific about that

Uses an alternative structure emphasizing the need for precision.

make sure to specify that

Shifts the focus to ensuring something is specified, adding a sense of importance.

it is important to specify that

Highlights the importance of specifying something, making the request more emphatic.

FAQs

How to use "please specify that" in a sentence?

Use "please specify that" when you need someone to clarify or provide detailed information. For example, "In your report, "please specify that" the data was collected over a six-month period."

What can I say instead of "please specify that"?

You can use alternatives like "please clarify that", "please indicate that", or "please detail that" depending on the context and the level of detail required.

Which is correct, "please specify that" or "please specify what"?

"Please specify that" is used when you want someone to confirm or provide more details about a specific point. "Please specify what" is used when you need to know which thing is being discussed. The choice depends on the information you need.

Is "please specify that" formal or informal?

"Please specify that" is generally considered to be neutral to formal. While acceptable in most professional contexts, more informal situations might benefit from simpler requests for clarification.