[Grammar] Take On, Take Up

[learningspirit]

I have a question about the confusion between "take on" and "take up" here:


1. "Seeing a stranger with a menacing look, John took on a fighting stance."
2. "Seeing a stranger with a menacing look, John took up a fighting stance."


Is either "take on" or "take up" used improperly?

 

[Rover_KE]

What is the source of your sentence?

 

[learningspirit]

@Rover_KE

Google suggests that both "take up" and "take on" are in use for this context. But dictionaries seem silent on this usage.

 

[bhaisahab]

Please answer Rover_KE's question.

 

[learningspirit]

@Rover_KE, bhaisahab

My original question was inspired by these sentences:


Source 1:
"Lief gritted his teeth, but took on a fighting stance, ready to challenge the man again. "

Source 2:
"The officer said Bess then took off his shirt, again took up a fighting stance, and refused repeated orders to get on the ground. "

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

I think "square up" works here. Am I right? (I'm sorry if you do find my post irrelevant to the main question)

Not a teacher nor a native speaker.

 

[bhaisahab]

Neither of those links work. I prefer "took up" but I would accept "took on".

 

[bhaisahab]

I think "square up" works here. Am I right? (I'm sorry if you do find my post irrelevant to the main question)

Not a teacher nor a native speaker.

No, "squared up a fighting stance" doesn't wok at all.

 

[Boris Tatarenko]

"Seeing a stranger with a menacing look, John squared up"

The thing is I learnt this phrasal verb today and I thought it would worked in that sentence.

What do you think right now?

 

[learningspirit]

@Rover_KE, bhaisahab

(I fixed the links)

My original question was inspired by these sentences:


Source 1:
"Lief gritted his teeth, but took on a fighting stance, ready to challenge the man again. "

Source 2:
"The officer said Bess then took off his shirt, again took up a fighting stance, and refused repeated orders to get on the ground. "

 

[Rover_KE]

They both mean the same to me.

 

[Tdol]

"Seeing a stranger with a menacing look, John squared up"

The thing is I learnt this phrasal verb today and I thought it would worked in that sentence.

That is better.

 

[Eckaslike]

As a first language English speaker (but not a Teacher) I would say both are equally correct and work equally well.

The phrase "squared up" cannot be used as a replacement for "Take on" or "Take up" in the sentences. It would however be used in one such as "John squared up to Bill for a fight".

So in the first sentence you could make it work as "Lief gritted his teeth and squared up ready to challenge the man again.". However, squared up doesn't work in the second sentence at all without completely re-writing it. I think it's because it means to take on a fighting stance in direct opposition to someone or perhaps something such as a storm.