You bring up a topic when you start talking about it, and you point out something to make people notice it.
Raising a topic
Not ""She brought the deadline during the meeting."" — say ""She brought up the deadline during the meeting."". Keep the particle: bring up, not just "bring".
Try it: Ethan: Is the room big enough for the whole group? Ira: No. I ___ the problem, but nobody listened. Choose the words for the blank. (pointed out / spoke up / chipped in) Answer: pointed out — To point out a problem is to make people notice it.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
bring up
/brɪŋ ʌp/
Amina brought up the deadline during the meeting.
point out
/pɔɪnt aʊt/
Sofia pointed out an error in the schedule.
Joining in
Speak up means say something louder or more openly, and chip in means add a short comment to a conversation.
Not ""Wei had to speak because the room was noisy."" — say ""Wei had to speak up because the room was noisy."". Speak up adds "louder or more openly".
Try it: Wei: Sorry, I can't hear you at the back. Camila: Oh, sorry! I'll ___. Choose the words for the blank. (speak up / chip in / clear up) Answer: speak up — Speak up means say it louder so people can hear.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
speak up
/spiːk ʌp/
Matilda spoke up when she noticed a problem with the plan.
chip in
/ˌtʃɪp ˈɪn/
Mei chipped in when the group got stuck.
Making your point clear
You get or put an idea across when people understand it, and you spell something out when you explain every detail.
Not ""He tried to get his point."" — say ""He tried to get his point across."". Get across means make people understand an idea.
Try it: Farid: Did the class understand your idea? Maya: Not really. I found it hard to ___ the main idea of my talk. Choose the words for the blank. (put across / speak up / chip in) Answer: put across — To put across an idea is to make people understand it.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
get across
/ɡɛt əˈkrɔːs/
Hiroshi used a diagram to get his point across.
put across
/ˌpʊt əˈkrɔːs/
Lani put her argument across calmly.
spell out
/ˌspel ˈaʊt/
Amina spelled out each step so nobody was confused.
Sorting it out together
You talk over a plan when you discuss it fully, and you clear up confusion by explaining what is true.
Try it: Diego: Should we choose the team name now? Maya: Let's not rush. Let's ___ the options tonight and decide tomorrow. Choose the words for the blank. (talk over / clear up / speak up) Answer: talk over — To talk over a choice is to discuss it fully before deciding.
Word
Pronunciation
Example
talk over
/ˌtɔːk ˈoʊvər/
Lars and Yasmin talked over the plan before deciding.
clear up
/klɪr ʌp/
Farid cleared up the confusion about the meeting time.