Meaning trap
put on
gain weight
to become heavier, especially by gaining a stated amount of weight
phrasal verbB2common
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
gain weight
to become heavier, especially by gaining a stated amount of weight
put on (wear)
Same phrasal verb; this one is about weight, the other about clothes.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- I put on a bit of weight over the holidays.health
- A lot of people put on weight in winter because they exercise less and eat heavier food.IELTS Part 3
Fix the pattern
Pattern: put on weight / put on a few kilos
WrongI put up some weight recently.
RightI put on some weight recently.
It's 'put ON weight', not 'put up'. The opposite is 'lose weight'.
Patternput on weight / put on a few kilos
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Put on weight' is the everyday phrase; 'increased in body mass' is clinical and odd in speech.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
put on + weightweighta few kilosa bit of weight
Don't confuse it
About body weight, not about getting dressed.
Related
- put on (wear) — Same phrasal verb; this one is about weight, the other about clothes.