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/*Mr. Banks: Just a moment, Mary Poppins. What is the meaning of this outrage? Mary Poppins: I beg your pardon? Mr. Banks: Will you be good enough to explain all this? Mary Poppins: First of all I would like to make one thing quite clear. Mr. Banks: Yes? Mary Poppins: I never explain anything. */Hi,A simple question ('' )(.. )( ..)( '')When someone wants to open an umbrella, do you add 'up' after 'open'?"You can open up the umbrella!"I also heard someone saying " You can put up the umbrella!"Which one is native way, I just wonder?I am sometimes confused whether I have to add adverbs like 'up, down etc'Thanks in advance.

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

Mr. Banks: Just a moment, Mary Poppins. What is the meaning of this outrage?
Mary Poppins: I beg your pardon?
Mr. Banks: Will you be good enough to explain all this?
Mary Poppins: First of all I would like to make one thing quite clear.
Mr. Banks: Yes?
Mary Poppins: I never explain anything.

*/

Hi,

A simple question ('' )(.. )( ..)( '')

When someone wants to open an umbrella, do you add 'up' after 'open'? You can, but you don't have to. Normally, we don't.

"You can open up the umbrella!"

I also heard someone saying " You can put up the umbrella!" Yes, here we need to say 'up'.

Which one is native way, I just wonder?

I am sometimes confused whether I have to add adverbs like 'up, down etc' Yes, you're right, it is confusing. I wish I could offer you a simple answer. However, if you make a mistake with prpeositons, people will still understand your meaning in many cases.

So don't feel discouraged.

Best wishes, Clive

Feebs11 · Answer

You put up an umbrella or open an umbrella.

Is there also a question about the extract from Mary Poppins?

Avangi · Answer

Of course there are regional differences. Some people open a can of soup; some people open up a can of soup.

You can close up the camp for the winter or you can close down the camp for the winter or you can close the camp for the winter.

You can take down the flag but you wouldn't lower down the flag. I don't think there's a general rule.

It depends whether or not the verb is "directional," for one thing. You can raise/increase the volume on you radio, or lower/decrease the volume. Up and down would be redundant. But when you turn the volume up/down, the up and down are needed.

If the sentence still makes perfect sense without the "up" or "down, " or still means the same thing, chances are you can skip it.

Victorycountry · Answer

Thanks Clive, Feebs11 and Avangi !

Feebs 11, I don't have a question about the extract from Mary Poppins, I just thought it's a bit funny quote

.

Clive, and Avangi, thanks for the reply and good explaination.

Some questions I ask may be very beginner questions, but I just can't skip questions that I am not sure of and I desperately want to improve my English.

So I always grateful to all of you for your help and advice.

Thanks again and have a lovely day, Clive, Feebs 11, and Avangi!

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