Phrasal verbs 7 - up (1)

Phrasal verbs with the particle 'up' are very common in business English. 'Up' can change or intensify the meaning of a verb — often suggesting completion, increase, improvement, or bringing something to attention. Many of these phrasal verbs are separable (the object can come between the verb and 'up'), but some are inseparable.

• 'Up' often indicates completion or an increase: set up, finish up, use up.
• Some verbs are separable: you can say 'set the meeting up' or 'set up the meeting', and with pronouns you must put the pronoun between verb and particle: 'set it up'.
• Meanings can be idiomatic — you usually learn them in context (e.g., 'bring up' = mention; 'pick up' = collect or learn).

Many 'up' phrasal verbs are separable. This affects where you place the object.

• If the object is a noun, you can place it before or after 'up': 'set up the meeting' / 'set the meeting up'.
• If the object is a pronoun, it must go between the verb and 'up': 'set it up' (NOT 'set up it').
• 'Up' often indicates completion or an increase — focus on the idiomatic meaning in context.

Remember: pronoun objects go between verb and particle with separable phrasal verbs.

Watch out for these universal errors when using phrasal verbs with 'up'.

• Placing a pronoun after the particle: incorrect → 'pick up it' (correct → 'pick it up').
• Translating word-for-word: phrasal verbs are often idiomatic; literal translation can be wrong.
• Omitting the particle changes the meaning: 'set' ≠ 'set up'.
• Using the wrong particle: similar verbs can have different particles and meanings (e.g., 'bring in' vs 'bring up').
• Confusing separability: not all phrasal verbs can be split; check each verb's usage.

If unsure, practice with full noun objects first ('pick up the file') then try pronouns ('pick it up').