Phrasal verbs · Free lesson
Catch up: exchange news with an old friend
You have not spoken to a friend for several months. They send a message: “Let’s catch up this weekend.” They want to hear your news and share theirs.
Professor Scott MendozaMeaning in this lesson
catch up
Talk with someone you know to share recent news or find out what has happened since you last spoke.
Example
“I caught up with Ana on the phone last night.”
Ana and I talked about what had been happening in our lives.
The short answer
In a social conversation, catch up means talk with someone you know about what has happened recently. Say catch up with a person: I caught up with Ana. The past form is caught, not catched.
Use the situation to understand the invitation.
A message from an old friend and an invitation to talk point to the exchange-of-news meaning. Add with before the person: catch up with Ana; catch up with her. If both people already know who will talk, “Let’s catch up” is enough. You can catch up on the phone as well as in person.
The same friend, two useful forms.
Let’s catch up this weekend.
I caught up with Ana last night.
The invitation looks ahead. Caught up reports a conversation that already happened.
Make the social meaning clear
Give the invitation a purpose
I’d love to hear your news. Let’s catch up.
Name the person
I want to catch up with Ana.
Use the past form afterwards
I caught up with her last night.
Try it now
Read the situation before you choose.
Read all answers and explanations
An old friend writes, “I’d love to hear how you’ve been. Let’s catch up on Saturday.” Which reply understands the invitation?
Sure. I’d love to hear your news too.The friend wants to exchange news. Running and unfinished reports belong to other meanings of catch up, but the message does not suggest either.
Complete this sentence about a conversation: “I want to catch up ___ her.”
withUse with before the person in this social pattern: catch up with her. Catch up on news names information, not the person you are talking with.
Which sentence reports a conversation that happened last night?
I caught up with Ana last night.The past form of catch is caught. Keep up with after it: caught up with Ana.
Build it yourself
Tell someone about your conversation.
You exchanged news with Ana yesterday. Refer to Ana as her and begin with I.
Arrange all four pieces. Select a piece again to move it back.
Your sentence
0 of 4 piecesYour chosen pieces will appear here.
See a model answer
I caught up with her.
I caught up with her describes the past conversation. In this pattern, her stays after with; it does not go inside catch up.
A little more clarity
Common questions
A few useful details before you move on.
Do we have to meet in person to catch up?
No. You can exchange news by phone or video call. The important idea is sharing what has happened, not a particular meeting place.
We caught up on the phone.
Is catch up a usual invitation to someone I have never met?
It normally suggests an existing connection or shared history. For a first meeting, an invitation such as “Would you like to meet for lunch?” is clearer.
We haven’t spoken for months. Let’s catch up.
Take it into your day
Catch up can describe exchanging news. Use with before a person and caught for a past conversation.
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