Meaning trap
pick up
improve
To get better or increase in level, especially after being low or slow.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To get better or increase in level, especially after being low or slow.
Another meaning of 'pick up' is 'collect'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- 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
Fix the pattern
Pattern: pick up
WrongI picked up business after the festival.
RightBusiness picked up after the festival.
This sense is intransitive: 'business picked up', not 'I picked up business'.
Patternpick up
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Pick up' is the natural verb for things improving/getting busier; 'experience an upturn' is business-report register.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
something picks upbusinesssalesthe weatherthe 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.