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Grammar fix

pore over

study intently

to look at or read something very carefully and for a long time, especially to understand details or find information

phrasal verbC1occasional

Hear it in context

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

  • She spent hours poring over the contract before signing it.study
  • In my opinion, students who pore over textbooks for hours often achieve better exam results, but it can also lead to burnout if they don’t take breaks.IELTS speaking

Fix the pattern

Pattern: pore over something

WrongShe poured over the documents.

RightShe pored over the documents.

It's 'pore over' (study closely), not 'pour' (liquid) — a very common spelling slip.

Patternpore over something

Use it right

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff She scrutinised the documents for several hours.

Natural She pored over the documents for hours.

'Pore over' is the natural verb for studying something intently; 'scrutinise' is formal.

Build natural chunks

Words that usually travel with it.

  • pore over + text
    the documentsthe mapold lettersthe data

Don't confuse it

Unlike 'look at' or 'read', 'pore over' suggests deep, careful study, not just casual reading or glancing.

Try it in Daily Speak →