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Everyday English · Daily routines

Turn on

Make a light or a piece of equipment start working.

You make a light or device start working, usually by using a switch or button.

Plain-English lessonVisual explanation3 practice steps

01 · Picture the situation

Understand it in three steps

Two cartoon panels show an unlit lamp, then a woman switching it on so it lights her book.
Picture the meaningShe turns the lamp on. Now she can see her book.
01Lamp is dark
02Press the switch
03Lamp gives light

Imagine this: The room is too dark to read. Sam presses the lamp switch. The lamp lights up. Sam turns the lamp on.

02 · Hear it in everyday life

Examples you can use

Three natural sentences

  1. Can you turn on the fan, please?
  2. I turned the computer on before the meeting.
  3. The lamp is beside you. Please turn it on.

A short conversation

PERSON AIt is difficult to see the page.
PERSON BI will turn the lamp on for you.

Read the conversation aloud. Then swap roles and try it again without looking.

03 · Build your sentence

How to use turn on

Turn on is separable. Turn on the lamp and turn the lamp on both work. Use turn it on when it replaces the lamp.

BASE FORMturn on
PAST SIMPLEturned on
AFTER HAVE / HASturned on

The base form is used after can, will and to. The past simple describes a finished past event. The third form follows have or has, for example when connecting an earlier action to now.

A common mistake to avoid

Use thisPlease turn it on.
Avoid this in this meaningPlease turn on it.

The pronoun it must go between turn and on.

Do not confuse it: Turn on starts a device. Turn off stops it. For sound, turn up makes it louder; it does not necessarily switch the device on.

Does it have another meaning?

Turn on has other meanings in other contexts. Here, the object is a light, device or supply that starts operating.

Learn the meaning and sentence pattern together. Small words such as up and off do not have one fixed meaning in every expression.

04 · Make it stick

Try it for yourself

Choose an answer before opening the explanation. Then make a sentence about your own life.

1. You press a button and a fan starts moving. You have…
  1. turned it off
  2. turned it on
  3. taken it off
Check answer 1

B. turned it on

The fan starts working, so you have turned it on.

2. The television is off. Can you ___?
  1. turn on it
  2. turn it on
  3. turned it on
Check answer 2

B. turn it on

After can you, use turn. Place it between turn and on.

3. Your turn

Write a request using “turn it on”.

See a possible model and self-check

Can you turn on the fan, please?

This is one model, not the only correct answer. Check that your sentence uses the meaning taught here, the right verb form and the word order above. Change the person, place or time to make it your own.