Grammar fix
crop up
arise unexpectedly (figurative)
to appear or happen suddenly or unexpectedly, especially when it causes a change of plan or needs attention.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- I was planning to leave early, but a few urgent issues cropped up at the last minute.daily life
- In my experience, unexpected challenges often crop up when working in a team, so it's important to stay flexible.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: crop up (often with problems/issues/questions/opportunities)
WrongIf any problem crops up to you, call me.
RightIf any problems crop up, call me.
'Crop up' is intransitive — things just 'crop up', they don't 'crop up to' someone.
Patterncrop up (often with problems/issues/questions/opportunities)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Crop up' is the everyday verb for things popping up unexpectedly; the formal version is stilted in speech.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
crop up + issuea problemsomethingnow and thenunexpectedly
Don't confuse it
'Crop up' is different from the literal meaning of 'crop' (to cut plants) and is used only in the figurative sense of something appearing or happening unexpectedly. It is more informal and conversational than 'arise', and more specific than 'come up', which can be used for both expected and unexpected events.