People may stop trying, or stop doing something regularly.
The idea
Use give up alone for stopping an effort, or with a noun or -ing activity for a habit. A noun can follow or split it; a pronoun goes between: give it up. The past is gave up.
Examples
- Do not give up now.
- They gave up smoking.
- I gave up coffee last month.
- The puzzle is hard, but we will not give up.
- She gave it up for a year.
- He gave sweets up in spring.
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Watch out
Do not use an infinitive after it for the stopped habit: say give up smoking, not give up to smoke.
Try it yourself
Choose the correct option. Last year we ___ up sugar. (gave / give)
Show answer or example answer
gave
gave is the past form for the completed change.
Choose the correct option. I stopped tea: I gave ___ . (it up / up it)
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it up
it up puts the object pronoun between the verb and particle.
Choose the correct option. She gave up ___ late. (eating / to eat)
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eating
eating names the habit that stopped.
Practice round
Answer questions and rebuild English sentences to practise. Your score is shown.
Choose the correct option. Last year we ___ up sugar. (gave / give)
Choose the correct option. I stopped tea: I gave ___ . (it up / up it)
Choose the correct option. She gave up ___ late. (eating / to eat)
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Describe a habit someone stopped and an effort someone continued.