Phrasal verb
tidy up
Definition
phrasal verb. to make a room or area look neat by putting things back where they belong.
phrasal verb. to organize or clean a space by removing clutter and returning items to their designated locations; often used intransitively or with a direct object.
Examples
“I need to tidy up the living room before the guests arrive.”
“After the children finished playing with their blocks, they spent ten minutes tidying up the playroom.”
“The staff worked tirelessly to tidy up the exhibition hall following the chaotic conclusion of the trade fair.”
Examples
simple
“I need to tidy up the living room before the guests arrive.”
contextual
“After the children finished playing with their blocks, they spent ten minutes tidying up the playroom.”
complex
“The staff worked tirelessly to tidy up the exhibition hall following the chaotic conclusion of the trade fair.”
Usage
can be used with or without a direct object; when used with an object, it is separable.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'clean', which implies removing dirt or dust; 'tidy up' focuses specifically on organization and the removal of clutter.
Pitfall
I tidied up it.
I tidied it up.
when using a pronoun like 'it', the pronoun must go between the verb and the particle.
Phrasal verb
Particles
up
Separability
optional
Pattern
tidy (+ object) + up / tidy + up (+ object)
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/tidy-up