Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[zhanglonghanzlh2]

hi,guys.i come across this today.
"begin by breaking up your task into smaller,more manageable parts."can i use "break down"instead of "break up"?i don't know the difference between the two.

mike

[iitimone7]

you can occasionally use these phrases interchangably, such as in this sentence. this particular sentence means that in order to do the tadk assigned to you, it is easier to do a little at a time and finish the task correctly (step #1, then step #2, then step #3, etc) than to look at the task as a whole project and be overwhelmed and not finish it.

'break up' can also mean that you discontinue to date a particular person
(my boyfriend and i will break up when i leave for college).

'break down' can also be a diagnosis for a mental and physical condition which leaves a person incapable of functioning as one once was.

[advoca]

Hmm!

Complicated one, this.

break up is a phrasal verb
[transitive] to break something to make smaller pieces:
Break the chocolate up into squares.

Break down is a phrasal verb
[transitive] to divide something such as a total amount into separate parts:
The amount doesn't seem quite so bad when you break it down into monthly payments.

break down phrasal verb
[intransitive or transitive] if a substance breaks down or is broken down into parts, it separates into the parts that it is made up of:
Like all natural substances, it is easily broken down by bacteria.

Yes, you can break uo the task into manageable parts and you can also break down the task into manageable parts.

But you have to break up a stone (you cannot break it down)

The problem here is our old enemy *phrasal verbs* I can give you no better advice than to learn them item by item. Sorry about that.