Phrasal verb
catch up on
Definition
phrasal verb. to do something you did not have time to do earlier, or to learn the newest information about something.
phrasal verb. to perform a task that has been delayed or to acquire information that has been missed during a period of absence or inactivity.
Examples
“I need to catch up on my sleep this weekend.”
“We met for coffee to catch up on all the latest news from our old school friends.”
“After returning from his two-week leave, the manager spent several days trying to catch up on a mountain of unanswered correspondence.”
Examples
simple
“I need to catch up on my sleep this weekend.”
contextual
“We met for coffee to catch up on all the latest news from our old school friends.”
complex
“After returning from his two-week leave, the manager spent several days trying to catch up on a mountain of unanswered correspondence.”
Usage
usually followed by a noun representing missed work, news, or a physical need like sleep.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'catch up with' (meeting a person to talk); 'catch up on' focuses on the activity or information being recovered.
Pitfall
I must catch up my emails.
I must catch up on my emails.
the preposition 'on' is necessary to connect the verb to the specific task being completed.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
catch + up + on + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/catch-up-on