gives up on believing vs give up believing

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keannu

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What is the difference between "gives up on something" and "give up something"? Is the former more related to forsaking success?

st214)For someone so young, that's a lot of time to spend alone. He's had more shots and been poked for blood tests (more times than you can count). He's had chemotherapy and lost all his hair. He's had pneumonia three times. Yet, for all he goes through, he hardly ever complains. And, even more amazing, he never gives up on believing / he's going to be well someday. “When (d) Iecome an astronaut, I'll bring you a rock from the moon,” he promised me just last week.
 
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Rover_KE

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The inclusion of 'on' before 'believing' is incorrect, as it would be in 'He's given up on smoking'.

'Give up' means 'stop'.

You give up on people when you can no longer do anything for them.

Rover
 

keannu

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You mean this sentence "he never gives up on believing..." is incorrect even thought it must have been written by a native speaker? I was asking the difference between "gives up on believing" and "gives up believing".
 

bhaisahab

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You mean this sentence "he never gives up on believing..." is incorrect even thought it must have been written by a native speaker? I was asking the difference between "gives up on believing" and "gives up believing".

The sentence "He never gives up on believing" is incorrect, as Rover said.
 

keannu

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Could you tell me the basic difference between "give up on something" and "give up something"?
 

emsr2d2

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You mean this sentence "he never gives up on believing..." is incorrect even thought it must have been written by a native speaker? I was asking the difference between "gives up on believing" and "gives up believing".

Your astonishment that a sentence could be wrong even though it was written by a native speaker is touching but misplaced. As someone said in a recent thread - English is a very forgiving language. When we read it, we tend to grasp what the writer meant even if it hasn't been expressed/written in perfect English. I doubt many native speakers would even have registered the error in normal day-to-day reading.
 
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