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Using the verb put is a little tricky because it has no meaning if you don’t say where something is put! This means that put always needs a location. The location could be a prepositional phrase such as “in the drawer” or “on the desk” or it could be an adverb of place such as “here” or “there.” Using put without a location is a common mistake.
Here are some examples:
Perhaps you’re tasting a dish that someone prepared and you ask “Did you put salt?” You might think it’s obvious where the salt was put, but you still need to use a location to create a grammatically correct question - “Did you put salt in this?” In the case of cooking and other activities that involve ingredients or components, you can also use the verb add, which does not require a location. So, you can say “Did you add salt (to this)?” (“to this” is optional).
Or perhaps you’re reminding someone to use sunblock when they go out and you say “Don’t forget to put sunblock!” Again, you might think it’s obvious where the sunblock should be put, but you need to mention the location. In this case, it’s possible to mention a specific location, such as “on your neck and arms,” but you could also just say “Don’t forget to puton sunblock!” Put on is a phrasal verb that can mean apply or don (similar to wear), so it can be used with things like clothing, accessories, makeup, and sunblock.
To sum up, even if it seems obvious where something is put, you still need to mention the location! If you do not, you will still probably be understood if the context is clear, but your sentence or question will be ungrammatical and unnatural.
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