ENGLISH
REFERENCE

act upon

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to do something because of another person's advice, information, or request.

phr. v.. to take action as a direct result of information received or a suggestion made; often used in formal or professional contexts.


SIMPLE

The police act upon the tip they received.

CONTEXTUAL

The board of directors decided to act upon the consultant's recommendations to improve efficiency.

COMPLEX

The government failed to act upon the urgent warnings issued by climate scientists regarding the rising sea levels in coastal regions.

Particles
upon
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
act + upon + object
Usage

usually followed by a noun representing information, such as 'advice', 'orders', or 'evidence'.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'act on', which is a more common and slightly less formal synonym; 'act upon' is frequently found in legal or official reports.

Pitfall

He acted upon to the advice.He acted upon the advice.the verb is transitive and takes a direct object without the preposition 'to'.

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