Catch on meaning in English
Learn how to use Catch on correctly with Gymglish.
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Definition
to catch on: to have success, to become popular
The new espresso machine at the office has really caught on. It's extremely popular now.
Examples
- "So, Bruno, with all the benefits of eco-roof construction, why do you think it hasn't caught on in the States?"
Exercise 1
to single out | to catch on | to carry on
Fill in the blanks below with the appropriate expression. Each term is used once.
Remember to conjugate the verbs appropriately!
Lions try a young animal when attacking a group. They have a greater chance of success when this animal is separated from the others.
The President talking yesterday despite the rotten tomatoes the audience were throwing at him.
It seems unlikely that your idea for a transparent swimming costume will , Philip.
Fill in the blanks below with the appropriate expression. Each term is used once.
Remember to conjugate the verbs appropriately!
Lions try a young animal when attacking a group. They have a greater chance of success when this animal is separated from the others.
The President talking yesterday despite the rotten tomatoes the audience were throwing at him.
It seems unlikely that your idea for a transparent swimming costume will , Philip.
to single out | to catch on | to carry on
Fill in the blanks below with the appropriate expression. Each term is used once.
Remember to conjugate the verbs appropriately!
Lions try to single out 1 a young animal when attacking a group. They have a greater chance of success when this animal is separated from the others.
The President carried on 2 talking yesterday despite the rotten tomatoes the audience were throwing at him.
It seems unlikely that your idea for a transparent swimming costume will catch on 3, Philip.
Fill in the blanks below with the appropriate expression. Each term is used once.
Remember to conjugate the verbs appropriately!
Lions try to single out 1 a young animal when attacking a group. They have a greater chance of success when this animal is separated from the others.
The President carried on 2 talking yesterday despite the rotten tomatoes the audience were throwing at him.
It seems unlikely that your idea for a transparent swimming costume will catch on 3, Philip.
1 to single out: This is correct. The expression 'to single (somebody, something) out' means 'to select from a group' or 'to isolate'. Example: 'She was singled out for special treatment by her teacher'. We need the infinitive form of the verb here, because when the verb 'to try' is followed by a second verb, this must be in the infinitive (with 'to'). Example: 'I will try to arrive on time'. This is the same usage as in the conversation, when Bruno says 'It would be unfair to single out just one'.
2 carried on: This is correct. The expression 'to carry on (doing something)' means 'to continue'. Example: 'If you carry on crying, I will have to leave'. We need the simple past form of the verb here, to describe a completed action in the past (which happened 'yesterday'). Note that the term 'to carry on' is followed by a verb ending in '-ing'. As we hear in the conversation, the term 'to carry on' can also be used alone, without a second verb: 'I'd like to carry on, if you don't mind'. Note that the verb 'to carry' is irregular: carry/carried/carried.
3 catch on: This is correct. The expression 'to catch on' means 'to become popular'. Example: 'Recycling has really caught on in recent years'. In this example, the future tense is used, formed by 'will' + infinitive (without 'to'). Note that the verb 'to catch' is irregular: catch/caught/caught.
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