Tidy up means to make a place neat by putting things where they belong: on a desk, in a room, in a wardrobe. It's tidying without washing: books back on the shelf, clothes in the wardrobe, papers in a folder. The second meaning is to tidy a text or document by fixing small details: tidy up a report before sending it.
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tidy up; tidy up + room/desk/kitchen; tidy + it + up; tidy up + report/notes
- Can you tidy up your desk? I can't find the stapler under all those papers.
- We spent ten minutes tidying up after the kids' birthday party.
- I'll tidy up the report tonight and send it to the client in the morning.
What changed
First versionBefore my parents arrived, I made order in my room.
RevisionBefore my parents arrived, I tidied up my room.
Make order isn't something English speakers say. The verb you need is tidy up: tidy up my room or tidy my room up.
Clean up means to get rid of dirt: wash, wipe, take out the rubbish: Clean up the kitchen after cooking. Tidy up only puts things in their places. If there's dust on the floor after building work, you clean it up, and you tidy up the tools lying around.
Your turn
There's coffee all over the floor, so please get a cloth and ___ the mess.
Show the answer
clean up — Spilt coffee needs wiping with a cloth, which is cleaning away dirt, so clean up. Tidy up means putting things in their places, and you can't put coffee back on a shelf.
Describe how you get your flat ready for guests. Name the things you put back in their places.
Before my friends come over, I tidy up the living room: I put the books back on the shelf and hide the laundry in the wardrobe.
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