cut back / cut back on something

Question

Dear teachers

What's the difference between cut back something and cut back on something?

A. My boss cut back my salary.

B. You should cut back on smoking.

C. She cut back my teaching hours.

D. We should cut back on the budget.

E. I started cutting back on (eating) fatty food.

F. We have to cut back on electricity and water to save more money.

Are the sentences above acceptable?

Thanks for your elucidating.

Inchoateknowledge · Accepted Answer

A: a prep is missing: on

B: OK

C. Same problem as in A

D: OK

E: OK:

F : OK

If there Is an object in the sentence, use the prep: on.

Tanit · Answer

Inchoateknowledge
A: a prep is missing: on

If there Is an object in the sentence, use the prep: on.

Why? According to my dictionary (Oxford Advanced) both are ok and there's no difference in meaning (meaning no.1):

cut sth back

1 (also cut back (on sth)) to reduce sth:
If we don’t sell more we’ll have to cut back production.
To cut back on spending

2 to make a bush, etc. smaller by cutting branches off SYN prune:

To cut back a rose bush

Inchoateknowledge · Answer

Tanit
InchoateknowledgeA: a prep is missing: on

If there Is an object in the sentence, use the prep: on.
Why? According to my dictionary (Oxford Advanced) both are ok and there's no difference in meaning (meaning no.1):

cut sth back

1 (also

cut back (on sth)

) to reduce sth:
If we don’t sell more we’ll have to cut back production.
To cut back on spending

2 to make a bush, etc. smaller by cutting branches off SYN prune:
To cut back a rose bush

Hi SAbs,

I live and learn.
Thanks for the correction

Tanit · Answer

You're welcome, PV.

Goodman · Answer

Davidrock65
Dear teachers

What's the difference between cut back something and cut back on something?

A. My boss cut back my salary.

B. You should cut back on smoking.

C. She cut back my teaching hours.

D. We should cut back on the budget.

E. I started cutting back on (eating) fatty food.

F. We have to cut back on electricity and water to save more money.

Are the sentences above acceptable?

Thanks for your elucidating.

Hi David,

Here is my take:

A. My boss cut back my salary. –Cut back here is not used in the proper context here. This sounds odd to me. Here is a couple of alternative to express the meaning of the sentence:

My boss cut my salary, (no “back”)

I received a pay cut.

B. You should cut back on smoking. - fine

C. She cut back my teaching hours. – same reason as [A]. No [back].

D. We should cut back on the budget. - ummm...ok.

We can apply the compound verb “cut back” on “spending”, “consumption” and “working hours" etc… Cut-back has the equivalent meaning of “reduce” which is the right verb for this context. We can say “ the budget got [scaled back]/ [cut] /[.reduced].

E. I started cutting back on (eating) fatty food. (eating) is not necessary, it’s implied. Otherwise, it’s fine.

F. We have to cut back on (the consumption of) electricity and water to save more money. Technically, it’s incorrect without (the consumption of).

when we use cut back in a sentence, it’s necessary to phrase it correctly to the context.

I.e. PG&E urged customers to cut back on using large appliances between during hot summer days to prevent brownouts.

Hpe it's helpful to you...

Davidrock65 · Answer

Thanks Goodman

I have one more question

Is " My boss cut back my classes" acceptable? Why?

Thanks!

Davidrock65 · Answer

Thanks Goodman

You say "We can apply the compound verb “cut back” on “working hours" etc…"

So how come She cut back my teaching hours. is incorrect?

Thanks

Garnett · Answer

Generally I would say you cut back nouns that involve action, and you cut back on participles and other nouns. (But it's a pretty fine line)

I cut back production
travel
exercise
consumption

I cut back on smoking
eating fatty foods

junk food
cigarettes

Do other people agree?

I agree with Goodman that other verb phrases might be more appropriate. "Cut down on fatty foods", "Cut the budget" for example.

Goodman · Answer

David,

Let’s say Joe is working full time in a factory where he is working 40 hours a week. The factory receives only 50% of the normal monthly order this month and so the management decides to cut the hours of the floor workers. To me, if Joe says his hours are cut back, it is redundant in this context. However, it’s not deemed grammatically incorrect, and it’s still understood.

If the management says “We have to cut back on the hours of the floor workers” that is acceptable.

“My boss cut back on my classes” – this comes across to me as unclear just based on the simple context. I guess if you are taking courses / classes which are paid for by your employer who for monetary reasons is cutting back / scaling back the classes you are taking, I think it’s acceptable.

Cut has the notion to remove, eliminate, terminate.

Cut back is to reduce, lessen, downsize, and make smaller.

Davidrock65 · Answer

Thanks Goodman and Garnett

Goodman says We have to cut back on (the consumption of) electricity.

But according to you, cut back consumption is correct.

I'm confused as to which one is correct?

Thanks !!

cut back / cut back on something

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