pick up — improve
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
To get better or increase in level, especially after being low or slow.
Say it like a native
Textbook Commercial activity began to experience an upturn after the festival.
Native Business picked up after the festival.
'Pick up' is the natural verb for things improving/getting busier; 'experience an upturn' is business-report register.
Pattern: pick up
In use
- Sales usually pick up before the holidays.work
- The weather picked up in the afternoon, so we decided to go for a walk.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I picked up business after the festival.
✓ Business picked up after the festival.
This sense is intransitive: 'business picked up', not 'I picked up business'.
Common collocations
something picks up— business, sales, the weather, the pace
Don't confuse it
Not about collecting or learning, but about progress or recovery.
Related
- pick up (collect) — Another meaning of 'pick up' is 'collect'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.