Cutting things into pieces

The idea

In neutral everyday English, a noun can follow cut up or come between the words: cut up the apple or cut the apple up. A pronoun goes between them: cut it up. The past of cut is also cut.

Examples

• I cut up an apple for my little sister.
• Please cut the carrots up for the soup.
• The children cut up old magazines for a collage.
• This bread is too big; can you cut it up?
• Yesterday, Sam cut the fabric up for a craft project.
• We cut up the tomatoes before lunch.

Watch out

Do not say cut up it: put the pronoun before up.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the correct option. Please cut ___ the onion for dinner. (up / after)

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   up

   up completes the expression for cutting the onion into pieces.

2. Choose the correct option. The melon is ready. Cut ___ up, please. (it / up it)

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   it

   it refers to the melon and fits before the particle.

3. Choose the correct option. Mina ___ up the paper yesterday. (cut / cuts)

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   cut

   cut has the same form in the past, matching yesterday.

Use it today

Describe something you cut up and what you do with the pieces.