Listen and fill in the blanks.

Hello, it’s Tim here from www.domineingles.com.br. It’s ________ a long time since we’ve seen each other. What have you been ________ to? (be up to sth, means to be busy doing sth). Well, I’ve ___________ busy with lots of projects and trips. But ____________________________________________. I would say ___________________________________! And that’s the expression I want to teach you today: We have a lot of catching up to do.

What does that mean? Well, I believe you are familiar with the phrasal verb catch up, which means to bring a person up to _________ on all the latest news. So I can say to you:“Let’s go for a coffee – I want to _________ you _____ ____ all the latest gossip.”.

So that means I want to tell you all that happened since the last time we were together.
Now, let’s ________ _________ (to start doing something again or talking about something again) to the initial sentence: We have a lot of catching up to do. It uses the phrasal verb catch up, but in a specific way, and with a specific wording. – which our friend Denilso de Lima from www.inglesnapontadalingua.com.br likes to call collocations, which are sequences of words that are usually used together.

So what does it mean when you say, We have a lot of catching up to do.?

Well, it basically means that we have a lot to talk about because we haven’t _______ each other for a long time.

I did a quick Internet search and I found two clips – one from a movie, I believe, and another from a series – which use this phrase we have a lot of catching up to do. I haven’t watched them personally, so I can’t say if I recommend them or not; but I just wanted you to see this expression being used in a real situation, in context. So let’s watch it together.
—
– Hey dad.
– What’s up, cuz?
– Sup to cuz?
– What is up, cousin?
– I am sure you two boys have got a lot of ___________________________; but do not make it a late night. School starts tomorrow.
– Yeah, I got a dozen texts from people talking about your dramatic entrance this morning. Too bad Smithson High does not have a parachute club.
– It is not a joke to me.
– Okay.
—
– Emma.
– Looks like we have some ____________________________.
– You have no idea.
– How about dinner at Granny’s. On me.
– As long as it’s not Chimera, I’m in. Hey, kid. You hungry?
– Yeah. See you later.

catch up

— phrasal verb /kætʃ/ caught | caught

to talk to someone you have not seen for some time and find out what they have been doing

Come over tomorrow and we can catch up.

I’ll catch up with you another time, Kevin.

It’ll give them a chance to talk and catch up with/on all their news.

to go faster so that you reach the person or vehicle in front of you

We left before them, but they soon caught us up again.

If you hurry, you should catch up with them at the bridge.

For other uses of catch up, click here.