Bring up means to raise a child, or to start talking about a subject. In the first meaning, the form was brought up is common: I was brought up in Tomsk. In the second, it means to mention a question, often an awkward one: bring up the salary issue.
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bring up + child / bring + child + up; be brought up + by/in; bring up + topic/question/issue
- My grandparents brought me up in a small town near the Volga.
- Don't bring up politics at dinner unless you want a long argument.
- I finally brought up the question of a pay rise with my boss.
What changed
First versionNobody wanted to bring up about the budget cuts at the team meeting.
RevisionNobody wanted to bring up the budget cuts at the team meeting.
Because talk about and speak about take about, learners sometimes add it here too. But bring up takes the topic directly, without a preposition, like mention and discuss: bring up the budget cuts. The extra about was removed.
Grow up means to become an adult yourself: I grew up in Kazan. Bring up means to raise someone else: My aunt brought me up. So to say that your grandmother raised you, use My grandmother brought me up or I was brought up by my grandmother.
Your turn
My parents both worked long hours, so my grandmother ___ me and my brother.
Show the answer
brought up — The grandmother raised her grandchildren, that is, she took care of other people, so brought up is needed. Grew up only describes your own childhood and cannot take an object: you can't say grew up me.
Write about a topic you recently raised at work, in your studies or in your family. Say who you talked to about it and why.
Last week I brought up the noise in our open-plan office with my manager because I couldn't concentrate on my calls.
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