Meaning trap
give up
quit a habit
To stop doing something that you do regularly, especially something unhealthy or unwanted.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To stop doing something that you do regularly, especially something unhealthy or unwanted.
Another meaning of 'give up' is 'stop trying'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- He gave up smoking last year and feels much healthier now.health
- Many people try to give up unhealthy habits, but it can be very challenging without support.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: give up (something)
WrongI gave up to smoke.
RightI gave up smoking.
'Give up' + -ing for a habit, not a to-infinitive.
Patterngive up (something)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Give up' is the natural verb for quitting a habit; 'ceased my consumption of' is absurdly formal in speech.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
give up + habitsmokingcaffeinesugardrinking
Don't confuse it
Different from 'cut down on', which means to do something less often, not stop completely.
Related
- give up (stop trying) — Another meaning of 'give up' is 'stop trying'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.