set up — prepare equipment
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to get equipment or devices ready so they can be used
Say it like a native
Textbook Please configure the apparatus prior to the presentation.
Native Can you set up the projector before the talk?
'Set up' is the everyday verb for getting equipment ready; 'configure the apparatus' is technical-manual English.
Pattern: set up [noun]
In use
- It took me an hour to set up the new printer.study
- Before the presentation, I had to set up all the equipment to make sure everything worked smoothly.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Let me set up it real quick.
✓ Let me set it up real quick.
With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'set it up'.
Common collocations
set up + equipment— the projector, the tent, your account, the printer
Don't confuse it
'Set up' is about getting something ready, not fixing it if it's broken.
Related
- set up (arrange or establish) — Another meaning of 'set up' is 'arrange or establish'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.