Grammar fix
cut down on
reduce
To use or do something less, especially because it is unhealthy, expensive, or unnecessary.
phrasal verbB1common
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- I'm trying to cut down on sugar because it's bad for my teeth.health
- To improve my health, I decided to cut down on junk food and exercise more regularly.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: cut down on + noun/gerund
WrongI want to cut down sugar.
RightI want to cut down on sugar.
Use 'cut down ON' something. ('Cut down a tree' is a different, literal meaning.)
Patterncut down on + noun/gerund
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Cut down on' is the everyday health-talk verb; 'reduce my consumption of' is clinical.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
cut down on + excesssugarcaffeinespendingscreen time
Don't confuse it
'Cut down' alone can mean to make something fall, like a tree. 'Cut down on' means to reduce the amount of something.