Phrasal verb
act upon
Definition
phrasal verb. to do something because of another person's advice, information, or request.
phrasal verb. to take action as a direct result of information received or a suggestion made; often used in formal or professional contexts.
Examples
“The police act upon the tip they received.”
“The board of directors decided to act upon the consultant's recommendations to improve efficiency.”
“The government failed to act upon the urgent warnings issued by climate scientists regarding the rising sea levels in coastal regions.”
Examples
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.”
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'.
Phrasal verb
Particles
upon
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
act + upon + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/act-upon