SpeakUp

Meaning trap

put up

raise or fix something in a place

to attach or place something so that it stands upright or is displayed, like a picture, a tent, or a sign.

phrasal verbB1common

Don't mix these meanings

Same phrase, different job.

raise or fix something in a place

to attach or place something so that it stands upright or is displayed, like a picture, a tent, or a sign.

put up (let someone stay in your home)

Another meaning of 'put up' is 'let someone stay in your home'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.

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Hear it in context

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

  • We put up a tent in the garden for the kids to play in.daily life
  • During festivals, people often put up decorations to make their homes look more festive.IELTS speaking

Fix the pattern

Pattern: put something up

WrongLet's put up it on the wall.

RightLet's put it up on the wall.

With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'put it up'.

Patternput something up

Use it right

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff We affixed the decorations to the walls.

Natural We put the decorations up.

'Put up' is the everyday verb for displaying or erecting something; 'affix to' is formal.

Build natural chunks

Words that usually travel with it.

  • put up + fixture
    a shelfa tentthe decorationsa poster

Don't confuse it

'Put up' (raise/fix) is not the same as 'put away' (to store something).

Try it in Daily Speak →