What Does “Hurry sth along” Mean?
“Hurry sth along” means to make something happen faster or to speed up a process or event.
Introduction
The phrase “hurry sth along” is a common phrasal verb used in everyday English. It refers to the action of speeding up or encouraging a process to happen more quickly. When you want to finish a task, project, or event sooner, you might try to “hurry it along.” Understanding the hurry sth along meaning helps you communicate urgency politely and clearly. This phrase is useful in both casual conversations and professional settings when you want to express the need to accelerate progress without sounding rude.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: hurry something along
- Type: transitive
- Level: B2 (Upper-Intermediate)
- Short meaning: to speed up a process or event
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Hurry sth along” is a separable phrasal verb, meaning the object can come between “hurry” and “along” or after the entire phrasal verb.
- hurry + object + along (e.g., hurry the project along)
- hurry along + object (e.g., hurry along the project)
Both forms are correct, but the first is more common.
How to Use “Hurry sth along”?
Use “hurry sth along” when you want to express the need to make an action or event happen faster. It is often used in work, school, or everyday situations where time is important. You can use it with nouns like “process,” “project,” “meeting,” or “decision.” It is polite and indirect, making it suitable for requests or suggestions to speed things up.
Examples
Imagine you are waiting for a report at work, and you want to encourage your colleague to finish it faster.
- Can you hurry the report along? We need it by noon.
- The manager asked to hurry the project along because the deadline is near.
- We tried to hurry the preparations along before the guests arrived.
- She called the office to hurry her order along.
- They decided to hurry along the negotiations to close the deal quickly.
These examples show hurry sth along in a sentence used naturally.
Common Mistakes
Sometimes learners confuse the object placement or verb form when using “hurry sth along.”
- Incorrect: Hurry along the meeting.
- Correct: Hurry the meeting along.
- Incorrect: Hurry along quickly the process.
- Correct: Hurry the process along quickly.
Remember, the object usually comes between “hurry” and “along.”
Differences / Synonyms
“Hurry sth along” is similar to phrases like “speed up,” “rush,” or “expedite,” but each has subtle differences.
- Speed up: More general; can be used with many processes.
- Rush: Implies moving too fast, sometimes carelessly.
- Expedite: More formal; often used in business or official contexts.
Compared to these, “hurry sth along” sounds polite and suggests encouragement rather than pressure.
Common Collocations
The verb “hurry” often pairs with certain nouns when used in this phrasal verb.
- Project: To make a project finish faster.
- Process: To speed up a series of steps.
- Decision: To encourage a quicker choice.
- Meeting: To move a meeting along or finish it sooner.
- Order: To accelerate the handling or delivery of an order.
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of hurry sth along:
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a quick conversation using “hurry sth along.”
Alice: The client wants the report by tomorrow. Can you hurry it along?
Bob: I’m on it. I’ll finish the final section tonight.
Alice: Great! Let me know if you need any help to hurry the process along.
Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of “hurry sth along.”
- We need to _______ the approval process _______ to meet the deadline.
- Can you _______ the shipment _______? It’s urgent.
- The teacher asked the students to _______ the group work _______.
- They’re trying to _______ the negotiations _______ before the weekend.
FAQs
- What does “hurry sth along” mean? It means to make something happen faster or speed up a process.
- Is “hurry sth along” formal or informal? It is polite and can be used in both formal and informal situations.
- Can I say “hurry along sth”? No, the correct form is “hurry something along.”
- What are some synonyms for “hurry sth along”? Synonyms include speed up, expedite, and rush (though rush can sound less polite).
- Can “hurry sth along” be used with any noun? It is usually used with processes, projects, meetings, decisions, or orders.
