To join parts to make something whole, like building furniture or making something from separate pieces.
It took me an hour to put together the new bookshelf.
A: Did you manage to put together the table from IKEA? B: Yeah, but I had to redo it twice!
In my opinion, being able to put together simple furniture is a useful skill, especially for students living on their own.
Common mistake
✗I can't put together it.
✓I can't put it together.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'put it together'.
Tell it apart
He put the bookcase together.
assembled it
He took the bookcase apart.
disassembled it
Use this when talking about making or building something by connecting its parts.Not the same as 'set up', which often means to prepare equipment for use.
To arrange or create something by collecting different parts, ideas, or people.
She put together a great team for the project.
A: Who put together this amazing slideshow? B: Oh, that was Sarah. She worked on it all night.
For my last assignment, I had to put together a detailed report using information from several sources.
Common mistake
✗She put together quickly a presentation.
✓She quickly put together a presentation. / She put a presentation together quickly.
Keep the adverb out of the middle of the phrase.
Tell it apart
I put together a quick presentation.
prepared / organised it
I put the laptop together.
assembled the hardware
Use this when talking about making a plan, event, or presentation by combining different things.Different from 'set up', which often means to start something or make it ready for use.
C1put together argument/report/analysis/casewritten
To combine information, arguments, or perspectives from various sources to create a coherent and persuasive whole, especially in writing, presentations, or discussions.
She put together a compelling argument by drawing on research from several disciplines.
A: How did you manage to write such a strong report? B: I put together evidence from all the case studies we covered this term.
In order to achieve a high band score, candidates must put together a well-structured essay that synthesizes information from multiple sources.
Common mistake
✗She put together them into a strong case.
✓She put them together into a strong case.
With a pronoun, split the verb: 'put them together', not 'put together them'.
Tell it apart
He put together a convincing argument.
combined ideas into a whole
He took apart her argument.
pulled it to pieces / refuted it
'Put together' in this sense is common in academic, professional, and discursive contexts when talking about integrating information or viewpoints. It is more precise than 'make' or 'write' when you want to emphasize the process of synthesis.Unlike the B1 sense ('assemble' physical objects) or the B2 sense ('prepare or organize' events or things), this sense focuses on the intellectual process of combining ideas or arguments, not physical items or event planning.