Point out means to draw attention to something, to mention it in speech or in writing. People use it about mistakes, facts and details: point out a problem, point out that prices have risen. Less often, it means to show someone an object or a place: The guide pointed out the castle.
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point out + noun / point it out; point out that + clause; point out + noun + to + person
- My editor pointed out two errors in the first paragraph.
- The guide pointed out the oldest house on the street.
- She pointed out that the train would be cheaper than flying.
What changed
First versionThank you for pointing out on my mistake in the report.
RevisionThank you for pointing out my mistake in the report.
Point out on may seem natural because point is often followed by a preposition, as in point at or point to. But point out takes its object directly, with no preposition. We removed the extra on.
Point at means to point with a finger or a gesture: He pointed at the map. Point out means to draw someone's attention to a fact or detail, usually in words: He pointed out that the map was old. The person you tell is introduced with to: She pointed it out to me.
Your turn
During the review, my manager ___ that two numbers in the table did not match.
Show the answer
pointed out — The manager drew attention to a fact, and the verb is followed by a whole statement with that, so pointed out. Pointed at describes a gesture towards an object, and it is not followed by that and a clause.
Think of a time when someone noticed your mistake at work or in your studies. Write who it was and what exactly they pointed out.
Last week my teacher pointed out that I often forget articles before singular nouns.
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