English Reference

Phrasal verb

point out that

Definition

phrasal verb. to tell someone a fact or piece of information that they might not know or have noticed.

phrasal verb. to draw attention to a specific fact or detail, often to clarify a situation or correct a misunderstanding; functions as a reporting verb followed by a complement clause.

Examples

“I should point out that the museum is closed on Mondays.”

“During the meeting, the accountant had to point out that the company was actually losing money on the project.”

“The researchers were careful to point out that their findings were preliminary and required further validation through large-scale clinical trials.”

Examples

simple

“I should point out that the museum is closed on Mondays.”

contextual

“During the meeting, the accountant had to point out that the company was actually losing money on the project.”

complex

“The researchers were careful to point out that their findings were preliminary and required further validation through large-scale clinical trials.”

Usage

often used to introduce a correction or a necessary piece of context in a discussion.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'show' or 'indicate'; 'point out' is specifically used for verbalizing a fact or observation rather than physically gesturing toward an object.

Pitfall

He pointed out me that I was wrong.

He pointed out to me that I was wrong.

if you include the person being told, you must use the preposition 'to' before the person.

Phrasal verb

Particles

out

Separability

optional

Pattern

point + out + (to + person) + that-clause

Synonyms

Antonyms

Grammar

This entry

Level
B1 · Intermediate
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/point-out-that

English Reference