Meaning trap
do up
fasten
To fasten or close something, such as buttons, zippers, or straps on clothes or bags.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To fasten or close something, such as buttons, zippers, or straps on clothes or bags.
Another meaning of 'do up' is 'renovate'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- It's cold outside, so make sure you do up your jacket.daily life
- Before leaving the house in winter, I always do up my coat to keep warm.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: do up + noun
WrongDo up it before you go out.
RightDo it up before you go out.
With a pronoun the object goes in the middle — 'do it up', never 'do up it'.
Patterndo up + noun
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Fasten securely' is stiff; 'do up' is the everyday verb for buttons and zips (BrE).
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
do up + fasteningyour coatthe buttonsyour shoelacesthe zip
Don't confuse it
'Do up' (fasten) is different from 'put on' (to wear) and 'take off' (to remove).
Related
- do up (renovate) — Another meaning of 'do up' is 'renovate'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.