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Grammar fix

sort through

to look at a group of things and separate them into different types

to examine a group of items carefully and put them into categories, or decide what to keep and what to throw away.

phrasal verbB1common

Hear it in context

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

  • I need to sort through my emails and delete the ones I don't need.daily life
  • In my opinion, it's important to sort through your notes regularly so you can find information quickly when you need it.IELTS speaking

Fix the pattern

Pattern: sort through + noun

WrongI need to sort through with my old clothes.

RightI need to sort through my old clothes.

'Sort through' takes the object directly — no 'with'.

Patternsort through + noun

Use it right

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff I categorised the items into separate groups.

Natural I sorted through my old clothes.

'Sort through' is the everyday verb for going through a pile to organise or choose; the paraphrase is stiff.

Build natural chunks

Words that usually travel with it.

  • sort through + pile
    old clothesthe mailboxesphotos

Don't confuse it

Not the same as 'sort out', which often means to solve a problem or organize something generally.

Try it in Daily Speak →