take on — accept responsibility
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to agree to do a job, task, or responsibility
Say it like a native
Textbook I have agreed to assume responsibility for the new project.
Native I've agreed to take on the new project.
'Take on' is the everyday verb for accepting work or responsibility; 'assume responsibility' is formal.
Pattern: take on + noun (task, job, responsibility)
In use
- She decided to take on more work to help her team finish the project.work
- In my last job, I had to take on several new tasks when my colleague left, which helped me develop new skills.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I don't want to take on with too much work.
✓ I don't want to take on too much work.
'Take on' takes the object directly — no 'with'.
Common collocations
take on + workload— more work, a project, responsibility, too much
Don't confuse it
'Take on' is about accepting a new responsibility, not just starting an activity.
Related
- take on (hire someone) — Another meaning of 'take on' is 'hire someone'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.