English Reference

Phrasal verb

focus on

Definition

phrasal verb. to give all your attention to one particular person, thing, or activity.

phrasal verb. to concentrate attention or effort on a specific subject, task, or stimulus; functions as a transitive phrasal verb requiring the preposition 'on'.

Examples

“I need to focus on my homework now.”

“The meeting will focus on the new budget for the upcoming year.”

“While the initial report touched on several minor issues, the final analysis must focus on the structural integrity of the bridge.”

Examples

simple

“I need to focus on my homework now.”

contextual

“The meeting will focus on the new budget for the upcoming year.”

complex

“While the initial report touched on several minor issues, the final analysis must focus on the structural integrity of the bridge.”

Usage

the object is usually the topic of thought, a specific task, or a visual target.

Teaching tip

students often use 'in' or 'at' due to first-language interference; emphasize that 'on' is the fixed partner for this verb.

Pitfall

We need to focus in the problem.

We need to focus on the problem.

the verb 'focus' always requires the preposition 'on' when followed by an object.

Phrasal verb

Particles

on

Separability

inseparable

Pattern

focus + on + object

Synonyms

look atzero in onconcentrate oncenter on

Antonyms

Grammar

This entry

Level
B1 · Intermediate
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/focus-on

English Reference