Meaning trap
pick up
improve
To get better or increase in level, especially after being low or slow.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To get better or increase in level, especially after being low or slow.
Another meaning of 'pick up' is 'collect'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
Sales usually pick up before the holidays.
The weather picked up in the afternoon, so we decided to go for a walk.
Fix the pattern
One small grammar move makes it sound right.
Not: I picked up business after the festival.
Say: Business picked up after the festival.
This sense is intransitive: 'business picked up', not 'I picked up business'.
Which sounds natural?
Tap the one a native speaker would say.
'Pick up' is the natural verb for things improving/getting busier; 'experience an upturn' is business-report register.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
something picks up
- business
- sales
- the weather
- the pace
Don't confuse it
Related
Other meanings and phrases to compare.
- pick up (collect) — Another meaning of 'pick up' is 'collect'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.