up

The adverb up forms part of many phrasal verbs, including follow up, give up, look up and wash up.

• Management will soon follow up on the consultant’s recommendation.
• Passengers who give up their seats for this flight will receive $300.
• Ross looked up the names in the alumni database.
• Everyone in town went to see the whale washed up on the shore.

However, the following phrasal verbs are inappropriate in formal writing: finish up, listen up, practise up and wait up.

• When the secretary finished (not finished up) formatting the letter, he returned it to the manager.
• Hannah has been practising (not practising up) her Japanese phrases in preparation for her assignment in Tokyo.
• Wait for (not Wait up for) the rest of the group at the main gate.