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Common mistakes by English learners: Raise/bring up/grow/grow up
I hear this mistake all the time in class and now I will set the record straight!
➡ Grow = to increase in size or height/plants develop
– Puppies grow so fast when they are young
– These plants grow better if you don’t put Domestos on them.
– “Money doesn’t grow on trees”
✅ You CAN say: I like to grow plants and flowers (as a hobby)
🚧 You CAN’T say: I grow my children (that means they live in the garden and you pour water on them)
Grow can also be passive: These plants were grown outside.
➡ Grow up (intransitive verb) = mature in age (a person)
– My kids are growing up so fast these days.
– Stop being an idiot! Just grow up, grandpa!
– I grew up in London
Because this verb is intransitive, it CAN’T be passive.
✅ You CAN say: I was brought up in London
🚧 You CAN’T say: I was grown up in London (Horrible English!)
And you can only grow up YOURSELF.
✅ You CAN say: Joining the army made me really grow up! (correct)
✅ You CAN say: My 10 kids grew up in a loving family (correct)
🚧 You CAN’T say: I grew up 10 children alone (wrong! Better: bring up/raise)
➡ Raise and bring up = to feed, clothe, educate, discipline, teach respect from a baby to adult
Raise is the more formal version of the phrasal verb bring up. They mean the same. And both can be active and passive:
– I was raised in the forest by wolves
– I was brought up by 3 magic fairies.
– I raised 10 children by only giving them grechka.
– Bringing up children can be very hard.
– Raising children can be very hard.
We can convert the phrasal verb into a useful noun: Upbringing.
– I had a fantastic upbringing; I got everything I wanted.
● So, compare the following:
I was raised in London
I was brought up in London
I was grown in London
I was grown up in London
