[General] to bone up on

[kompstar]

Are the sentences below correct and natural (especially the underlined part)?

1. I used to bone up on much, too, when I was at school.
2. I used to bone up on much, too, when I was going to school.

 

[probus]

Neither of your examples is natural. To bone up on something is an idiom that means to learn the details of something rapidly and perhaps temporarily. It would never be naturally used with much.

If I were a medical student facing an anatomy exam, I might bone up on anatomy. If I subsequently remember what I boned up on, all's well. If not, probably I will be an incompetent physician.

 

[kompstar]

Neither of your examples is natural. To bone up on something is an idiom that means to learn the details of something rapidly and perhaps temporarily. It would never be naturally used with much.

If I were a medical student facing an anatomy exam, I might bone up on anatomy. If I subsequently remember what I boned up on, all's well. If not, probably I will be an incompetent physician.

Thanks. And without the word "much", if I say e.g.:

1. I used to bone up on, too, when I was at school.
2. I used to bone up on, too, when I was going to school.

Will it be correct and natural?

 

[bhaisahab]

No, they are not correct.

 

[kompstar]

Which part of these sentences are not correct 1st - "I used to bone up on, too" or 2nd - "when I was at school" ("when I was going to school") ?

 

[Tdol]

Try something like this:

I used to bone up on history the night before the exam when I was at school.


In your examples, you haven't said what it was you used to study, which is why the sentences don't work. You have to bone up on something, but your sentences bone up on nothing.

 

[kompstar]

Now, I uderstand.

My last question- are the sentences below correct and natural:

1. I used to bone up on history much/a lot the night before the exam when I was at school. - I think is wrong.
2. I used to bone up on conversation topics, too, when I had a date. - I think is ok.

 

[bhaisahab]

1 is wrong with "much".

 

[kompstar]

1 is wrong with "much".

and 1st sentence is also wrong with "a lot"? Am I right?

 

[bhaisahab]

It's OK with "a lot".

 

[Tdol]

and 1st sentence is also wrong with "a lot"? Am I right?

We tend to use much more in negative sentences:

I used to bone up on history much the night before the exam when I was at school. :cross:
I didn't use to bone up on history much the night before the exam when I was at school. :tick: