What Does โDrum sth upโ Mean?
โDrum sth upโ means to try to get or increase something, such as support, business, or interest, often by working hard or persuading others.
Introduction
The phrase โdrum sth upโ is a common English phrasal verb used to describe the action of encouraging or generating something, like enthusiasm, sales, or attention. When you drum something up, you actively try to create or boost it, often through effort or persuasion. Understanding the drum sth up meaning helps English learners communicate more naturally, especially in business or social contexts. This phrase is useful when talking about gathering support, raising funds, or attracting customers. Knowing how to use โdrum sth upโ correctly will improve your fluency and make your expressions more vivid and engaging.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: drum something up
- Type: transitive
- Level: B2
- Short meaning: to try to get or increase something by effort
Structure (Grammar Rules)
โDrum upโ is a separable phrasal verb, which means you can place the object between the verb and the particle or after the particle.
- drum something up (correct) โ e.g., drum support up
- drum up something (also correct) โ e.g., drum up support
Both forms are correct, but โdrum up somethingโ is more common in formal writing.
How to Use โDrum sth upโ?
You use โdrum sth upโ when you want to describe making an effort to increase or get something. It is often used in business, marketing, politics, and social activities. For example, a company might drum up sales through advertising, or a charity may drum up donations by holding special events.
The phrase is always followed by a noun that represents what you want to increase, such as interest, business, support, or enthusiasm.
Examples
Here are some examples of โdrum sth up in a sentenceโ to help you understand how it works in real life:
- The startup is trying to drum up interest in its new app.
- She drummed up enough support to win the election.
- We need to drum up more business before the end of the quarter.
- They held a fundraiser to drum up donations for the community project.
- He drummed up enthusiasm among the team for the new project.
Common Mistakes
Sometimes learners confuse the word order or use the wrong object with โdrum up.โ Here are some common mistakes:
- Incorrect: They drummed uped some business.
- Correct: They drummed up some business.
- Incorrect: She drum uped support quickly.
- Correct: She drummed up support quickly.
- Incorrect: Drum up the idea.
- Correct: Drum up interest in the idea.
Remember, the past tense is โdrummed,โ and you need a proper noun after the phrase.
Differences / Synonyms
There are several similar phrasal verbs and expressions, but they differ slightly in meaning or usage.
- Drum upCall up: โCall upโ means to phone someone, while โdrum upโ means to generate interest or support.
- Drum upRally: โRallyโ means to bring people together, often for support, while โdrum upโ focuses on the effort to create or increase something.
- Drum upGenerate: โGenerateโ is more formal and broader, while โdrum upโ suggests active effort, often informal.
Common Collocations
Here are words commonly used with โdrum upโ and what they mean:
- Drum up support: try to get people to agree or help
- Drum up business: try to attract customers or sales
- Drum up interest: try to get attention or curiosity
- Drum up enthusiasm: try to make people excited or motivated
- Drum up donations: try to collect money for a cause
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of drum sth up:
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a short conversation using โdrum sth upโ:
Anna: We need more customers for our new product.
Tom: Yes, letโs drum up some interest with a social media campaign.
Anna: Good idea! That should help us drum up enough sales quickly.
Practice
Try to complete the sentences with the correct form of โdrum upโ:
- They are trying to _______ support for the charity event.
- We need to _______ more business before the end of the month.
- She _______ enthusiasm among the volunteers.
- Can you help me _______ interest in our new service?
FAQs
- What does โdrum sth upโ mean? It means to try to get or increase something by effort.
- Is โdrum upโ separable? Yes, you can say โdrum up supportโ or โdrum support up.โ
- Can โdrum upโ be used in formal writing? Yes, especially in business or marketing contexts.
- What is the past tense of โdrum upโ? The past tense is โdrummed up.โ
- Can I use โdrum upโ with any noun? No, it is usually used with nouns like support, business, interest, or enthusiasm.
