Take on means to accept work, a task or responsibility, or to employ new staff. In the first meaning, it is about something you agree to be responsible for: take on a new project. In the second, it is used about an employer hiring people: The shop is taking on staff for the holidays.
Want to use take on in conversation?
Write a sentence — we'll show the mistakes right away and suggest how to say it more naturally.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
take on + work/a project/responsibility; take on + staff/workers; take it on
- I took on an extra project this month, so my evenings are busy.
- The hotel takes on extra staff every summer when the tourist season starts.
- She didn't want to take on the role of team leader, but nobody else volunteered.
What changed
First versionThe café took two students to work for the summer.
RevisionThe café took on two students for the summer.
Take someone to work means to drive or bring someone to their workplace, not to give them a job. To say that an employer hired someone, use take on: took on two students.
Take over means something different: to take control or continue work in place of someone else. When Anna left, Max took over her project means that Max started running Anna's project. Max took on a new project means that he agreed to do a new one.
Your turn
I'm already writing three reports, so I can't ___ any more tasks this week.
Show the answer
take on — This is about new tasks the person can no longer accept, so take on fits. Take up is used for hobbies, or for the space and time something fills: take up tennis, take up space. You don't take up tasks in this sense.
Think of a task or duty you took on at work, in your studies or at home. Say what it was and why you agreed.
Last autumn I took on the job of organising our team's training plan because nobody else had time for it.
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.