Meaning trap
pick up
collect
To go somewhere and bring someone or something with you, usually by car or another vehicle.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To go somewhere and bring someone or something with you, usually by car or another vehicle.
Another meaning of 'pick up' is 'learn casually'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- Can you pick me up from the airport at 7 p.m.?daily life
- If I finish my exam early, my dad will pick me up so I don't have to take the bus home.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: pick (someone/something) up
WrongI'll pick up her at six.
RightI'll pick her up at six.
With a pronoun, the object MUST go in the middle: 'pick her up', never 'pick up her'.
Patternpick (someone/something) up
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
For going to fetch a person, natives default to 'pick up'. 'Collect' is correct but sounds formal or admin-like (collecting a parcel, a prize).
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
pick up + person/itemthe kidsmy sistera parcelsome milk
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'pick up' meaning 'lift from the ground.'
Related
- pick up (learn casually) — Another meaning of 'pick up' is 'learn casually'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.