phrasal verb · neutral
take up
/teɪk ˈʌp/TAKE·up
1) To start a new activity or hobby. 2) To occupy space or time.
Examples
“I took up yoga to help my back pain.”
“This sofa takes up too much space in the room.”
“Speaking part 2: I recently took up cooking as a weekend hobby and it has been surprisingly relaxing.”
Band 8 sentence
“Although I was skeptical at first, I took up volunteering at the local shelter and it transformed my perspective on community service.”
Collocations
- take up a hobby
- take up space/time
- take up a challenge
Word family
Common mistakes
I will take a rest up.→I will take up a new hobby. / I will rest.
This book takes a big place.→This book takes up a lot of space. / This book occupies a big space.
Say it for a higher band
5start→6begin→7+take up
Synonyms
start
occupy
Easily confused
pick up
“I pick up new vocabulary quickly when I read English novels on the train.”
take over
“When my supervisor retires next month, I take over responsibility for the department's schedule.”
Related words
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In take …
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