Meaning trap

set up

prepare equipment

to get equipment or devices ready so they can be used

phrasal verbB1common

Don't mix these meanings

Same phrase, different job.

prepare equipment

to get equipment or devices ready so they can be used

set up (arrange or establish)

Another meaning of 'set up' is 'arrange or establish'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.

Notice where the phrase sounds natural.

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

Pattern: set up [noun]

WrongLet me set up it real quick.

RightLet me set it up real quick.

With a pronoun, the object goes in the middle: 'set it up'.

Patternset up [noun]

Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.

Stiff Please configure the apparatus prior to the presentation.

Natural 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.

Words that usually travel with it.

'Set up' is about getting something ready, not fixing it if it's broken.

set up (arrange or establish) — Another meaning of 'set up' is 'arrange or establish'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.