These two verbs put an idea into a conversation. Bring up means to mention or introduce a topic. Point out means to draw attention to something important. Notice the particle. It is part of the verb and cannot be dropped.
Raising a topic
bring up /brɪŋ ʌp/ — Amina brought up the deadline during the meeting.
point out /pɔɪnt aʊt/ — Sofia pointed out an error in the timetable.
Not ""She brought the deadline during the meeting." (particle dropped)" — say ""She brought up the deadline during the meeting."". The particle carries the meaning: bring up, not just "bring".
Try it: During the meeting, Diego wanted everyone to notice the problem, so he ___ that the room was too small. (pointed out / brought / spoke) Answer: pointed out — Point out means to draw attention to something important, which fits noticing the small room. "Brought" is missing its particle ("up"), and "spoke" does not take an object like this. You cannot "speak that the room was small."
Making yourself understood
These verbs are about being clear. Get across means to communicate an idea successfully so people understand it. Clear up means to explain something so confusion disappears. Each needs its particle to carry the meaning.
get across /ɡɛt əˈkrɔːs/ — Hiroshi used a diagram to get his point across.
clear up /klɪr ʌp/ — Farid cleared up the confusion about the meeting time.
Not ""He tried to get his point." (no particle, so this means "understand", not "communicate")" — say ""He tried to get his point across."". The particle changes the meaning completely: get across = communicate an idea.
Try it: Camila phoned the office to explain a mix-up so nobody stayed confused about the booking. She wanted to ___ the misunderstanding. (clear up / bring up / speak up) Answer: clear up — Clear up means to explain something so confusion disappears, which is exactly what Camila does. "Bring up" would only introduce the topic, not resolve it, and "speak up" is about volume or giving an opinion, not fixing a mix-up.
Saying it louder or openly
Speak up has two related meanings: to speak louder so people can hear you, or to say your opinion openly. The particle "up" is essential. Without it, "speak" just means to talk in general.
speak up /spiːk ʌp/ — Matilda spoke up when she noticed a problem with the plan.
Not ""Wei had to speak because the room was noisy." (means "talk", not "talk louder")" — say ""Wei had to speak up because the room was noisy."". The particle adds "louder or more openly": speak up, not just "speak".
Try it: The teacher wanted the quiet students to share their opinions openly during the discussion, so she encouraged them to ___. (speak up / clear up / point out) Answer: speak up — Speak up means to say your opinion openly (or to speak louder), which is what the shy students need to do. "Clear up" is about ending confusion, and "point out" needs a specific thing to highlight, so neither matches simply sharing opinions.
Joining in and discussing fully
Chip in means to add a short comment to a discussion that is already happening. Talk over means to discuss something thoroughly before deciding. Both keep their particle, which carries the meaning.
chip in /ˌtʃɪp ˈɪn/ — Mei chipped in with a useful suggestion during the meeting.
talk over /ˌtɔːk ˈoʊvər/ — Lars and Yasmin talked over the budget before deciding.
Not ""Mei chipped with a useful suggestion." (particle dropped)" — say ""Mei chipped in with a useful suggestion."". The particle makes the meaning: chip in = add a comment. "Chip" alone means to break a small piece off something.
Try it: Diego and Camila could not agree about the schedule, so they met at Ghafridge Cafe to ___ the problem properly. (talk over / chip in / speak up) Answer: talk over — Talk over means to discuss something thoroughly, which fits meeting to settle a disagreement. "Chip in" is adding a short comment to a discussion that is already running, and "speak up" is about volume or stating an opinion, so neither describes working through a problem together.
Try it: Mei listened to the discussion for a while, and when there was a pause she ___ with a short suggestion. (chipped in / cleared up / put across) Answer: chipped in — Chip in means to add a short comment to a discussion that is already happening, which fits joining in during a pause. "Clear up" means to remove confusion and "put across" means to express an idea so it is understood, and neither describes simply joining a conversation.
Expressing an idea and explaining it fully
Put across means to express an idea so that people understand it. It is very close to get across, and in the phrase put or get your point across the two are interchangeable. Spell out means to explain something in complete detail, usually because the listener has not understood.
put across /ˌpʊt əˈkrɔːs/ — Hiroshi put his argument across calmly and clearly.
spell out /ˌspel ˈaʊt/ — Amina spelled out each step so nobody was confused.
Not ""Hiroshi put his argument calmly." (particle dropped)" — say ""Hiroshi put his argument across calmly."". Put across needs across. Without it, "put" just means to place something somewhere.
Try it: Sofia had good ideas, but she spoke too quickly in meetings and struggled to ___ her point. (put across / clear up / chip in) Answer: put across — Put across means to express an idea so that people understand it, which is what speaking too quickly prevents. "Clear up" takes a confusion or a misunderstanding as its object, not a point, and "chip in" means to add a short comment to a discussion that is already happening.
Try it: The team had misunderstood the safety rules twice, so Lani ___ every step in writing. (spelled out / brought up / chipped in) Answer: spelled out — Spell out means to explain something in complete detail, which is what repeated misunderstanding calls for. "Bring up" only introduces a topic without explaining it, and "chip in" means to add a short comment to a discussion that is already happening.