Meaning trap
look up
search for information
To try to find information about something, usually in a book, online, or in a list.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To try to find information about something, usually in a book, online, or in a list.
Another meaning of 'look up' is 'improve'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- If you don't know the word, you can look it up in the dictionary.study
- During my studies, I often have to look up new terms online to understand my textbooks better.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: look up [noun] (in/on [source])
WrongLet me look up it online.
RightLet me look it up online.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'look it up'.
Patternlook up [noun] (in/on [source])
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Look up' is the everyday verb for searching for a fact. 'Consult a dictionary' is formal and old-fashioned in speech.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
look up + infoa wordthe addressthe timethe score
Don't confuse it
'Look for' means to search for something you have lost or want to find, but 'look up' means to search for information.
Related
- look up (improve) — Another meaning of 'look up' is 'improve'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.