ENGLISH
REFERENCE

sum up

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to give a short description of the main points of something.

phr. v.. to provide a concise summary of the principal arguments, facts, or characteristics of a preceding discourse or situation.


SIMPLE

To sum up, we need more time and money.

CONTEXTUAL

At the end of the meeting, the manager summed up the main goals for the next month.

COMPLEX

The final chapter effectively sums up the author's complex theories on economic reform while offering a hopeful vision for the future.

Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
sum (+ object) + up (+ object)
Usage

often used as a transition phrase at the end of a speech or essay.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'summarize' (more formal) and 'recap' (more casual/spoken); 'sum up' is versatile and works well in both academic writing and business meetings.

Pitfall

He summed up it in two words.He summed it up in two words.when using a pronoun like 'it', it must go between 'sum' and 'up' because this verb is separable.

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