stick to — maintain subject
phrasal verbC1IELTS 7+neutraloccasional
To continue talking or writing about only one particular subject, rather than moving to other topics.
Say it like a native
Textbook Kindly confine your remarks to the topic under discussion.
Native Can we stick to the subject, please?
'Stick to the subject/point' is the natural way to ask someone not to wander.
Pattern: stick to + topic/subject/point
In use
- During the debate, the moderator asked everyone to stick to the issue at hand.discourse
- In academic writing, it is important to stick to the main argument and avoid unnecessary digressions.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Let's stick on the topic.
✓ Let's stick to the topic.
'Stick TO' the topic — not 'on'.
Common collocations
stick to + topic— the subject, the point, the facts, what matters
Don't confuse it
Unlike the B1 sense ('continue with a plan') and the B2 sense ('follow a rule'), this sense is about maintaining focus on a specific subject in speech or writing, not about actions or rules.
Related
- stick to (continue with a plan) — 'stick to' also has the more basic meaning 'continue with a plan'; this is the advanced sense.