ENGLISH
REFERENCE

give sth up

phr. v..
A2 Elementary Oxford

phr. v.. To stop doing or having something, like a habit. It can also mean to stop trying to do something because it's too difficult.

phr. v.. A transitive phrasal verb meaning to cease a habitual activity (e.g., smoking) or to abandon an effort or attempt.


SIMPLE

He needs to give up junk food.

CONTEXTUAL

She tried to learn the violin, but she gave it up after a few months.

COMPLEX

Despite pressure from his sponsors, the mountaineer refused to give up his lifelong ambition of summiting the unclimbed peak without supplemental oxygen.

Particles
up
Separability
separable
Pattern
give + up + object
Usage

Often used with habits (like smoking), foods (like sugar), or activities (like a hobby).

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'give in', which means to yield to pressure, whereas 'give up' means to quit an activity or abandon an effort.

Pitfall

He decided to give up it.He decided to give it up.When the object is a pronoun (like 'it' or 'them'), it must go between the verb and the particle.

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