If you make a mess, you need to 'clear it up'.
- It was your party. You clear up the mess.
- Don't expect me to clear up after you.
If you need some support, you need somebody to 'back you up'.
- If you report it, I'll back you up.
- Nobody would back me up when I complained.
If there is none left, you have 'used it all up'.
- The ketchup bottle is empty. We must have used it all up.
- We must stop for petrol (or gas!) . We've used it all up.
On a special occasion, you put on fine clothes – you dress up.
- Do we need to dress up for the party?
- I like dressing up and going somewhere fancy.
If you fall behind in your studies, you need to 'catch up'.
- He was ill for two months and is struggling to catch up.
- I need to put in some work to catch up on what I missed.
If you go to bed late, you 'stay up'.
- My student daughter stays up until 3 every day.
- I cannot stay up late. I've got to start early tomorrow.
Perhaps my daughter's parents didn't 'bring her up' correctly.
- She was brought up very strictly.
- He's been very well brought up.
When it's time to finish drinking, you tell everybody to 'drink up'.
- Drink up. We have to leave now.
- It's time to go so drink up.
If you like vegetables as I do, you 'eat them all up' and don't leave any on your plate.
- If you eat up all your carrots, you can have some ice cream.
- I ate up all the chocolate that we had.
If you need some information, you should 'look it up' on Google.
- I looked up the name of the capital of Scotland. It is not Glasgow.
- Can you look up his phone number for me, please?
exercise 1
exercise 2