If you want to be organized, you have to stay on top of your work. When you stay on top of something, you follow it closely to make sure that you're up to date. This means that you are fully in control of the situation and can react quickly if something changes. This expression can be used in both personal and professional contexts. The expression is formed using "stay on top of" and then the subject. For example: A. Have you been following the results of the presidential election? Did you know? We also use the expression on top of with that to mean "in addition to" or "furthermore." When used in this way, on top of that tends to have a negative connotation. For example, "I lost my keys this morning, which made me late for work. On top of that, I also spilled coffee on my shirt. It hasn't been a great day so far."
B. Yes, I've been staying on top of the news all day.
Hello:
Thank you, in advance.
I am not sure about this sentence: I always like being on top of things. ¿Does it mean to be prepared? I give you more context. I always like being on top of things. While I cannot anticipate every situatioin, Y do my best not to go into things unprepared. But regardless of whether I know about a situation ahead of time or it arises unexpectedly, if I am caught off guard I can blame only myself.
Hello:
Thank you, in advance.
I am not sure about this sentence: I always like being on top of things. ¿Does it mean to be prepared? I give you more context. I always like being on top of things. While I cannot anticipate every situatioin, Y do my best not to go into things unprepared. But regardless of whether I know about a situation ahead of time or it arises unexpectedly, if I am caught off guard I can blame only myself.
Yes, it means prepared, and more: prepared for everything that might happen, in so far as one can be. It means adopting a belt-and-braces attitude to the way you run your life - if the belt comes undone, the braces will keep up your trousers. To be on top of things, to be in charge of the situation, to know how things might go wrong and to have plans for dealing with likely emergencies or difficulties.
"Being/staying on top of things" generally means that you keep abreast of a situation, monitoring it or otherwise making sure that you know what's going on, enabling you to react rapidly.
I wouldn't say that it necessarily implies prior efforts or preparation of any sort.
"Being/staying on top of things" generally means that you keep abreast of a situation, monitoring it or otherwise making sure that you know what's going on, enabling you to react rapidly.
I wouldn't say that it necessarily implies prior efforts or preparation of any sort.
Don't you think that making sure you know what's going on, in a way which is going to enable you to react rapidly, implies at least some small degree of preparation, albeit mental preparation?
The focus of the idiom is, to my mind, the "staying" rather than the achievement of the point at which one can do the "staying."
I'm sure in most situations, some prior efforts are needed to be ready to "stay on top of things," but I don't think that this is what the speaker/writer is stressing.
The focus of the idiom is, to my mind, the "staying" rather than the achievement of the point at which one can do the "staying."
I'm sure in most situations, some prior efforts are needed to be ready to "stay on top of things," but I don't think that this is what the speaker/writer is stressing.
Sure, but I should have been clearer: I wasn't suggesting that the preparation was aimed at reaching the point, but at how one should react were anything to threaten one's ability to stay at it.
I may not be addressing your argument directly, but I would amend my own thoughts on this idiom by saying that "staying on top of things" may not even necessarily imply reacting or responding, but just staying informed or up-to-date on a situation/issue.
Thank you bibliolept for your answer. Your expanation helped me a lot! Excuse me for the upside-down question mark, Thomas Tompson.
This forum is a blessing for my poor English. Thanks a lot!!!
I understand what Thomas means. If one "stays on top of things", one has necessarily prepared onself for eventualities/taken some sort of action. If I "stay on top of" my finances, for example, I will have checked my bank statements, filled in my cheque stubs etc. If I "stay on top of things" in the sense of keeping myself informed about a situation, I have necessarily taken action - read a newspaper, spoken to people etc. It's possibly a fine point.
Edit: Rosicler, your English is definitely not "poor"!
I understand what Thomas means. If one "stays on top of things", one has necessarily prepared onself for eventualities/taken some sort of action. If I "stay on top of" my finances, for example, I will have checked my bank statements, filled in my cheque stubs etc. If I "stay on top of things" in the sense of keeping myself informed about a situation, I have necessarily taken action - read a newspaper, spoken to people etc. It's possibly a fine point.
Edit: Rosicler, your English is definitely not "poor"!
Great post!
I think in order to "stay on top of things", you have to know that "everything's under control". (no bad surprises, for example)
I understand what Thomas means. If one "stays on top of things", one has necessarily prepared onself for eventualities/taken some sort of action. If I "stay on top of" my finances, for example, I will have checked my bank statements, filled in my cheque stubs etc. If I "stay on top of things" in the sense of keeping myself informed about a situation, I have necessarily taken action - read a newspaper, spoken to people etc. It's possibly a fine point.
Edit: Rosicler, your English is definitely not "poor"!
And your words are a great encouragement for me, too!!!
Thanks, nichec! I don't agree that everything has to be "under one's control" in order to "stay on top of things". For example, if I "stay on top of" current affairs, I am merely keeping myself informed about them, but don't necessarily have any control whatsoever over them. Ah, perhaps you mean "everything under control" (without the "your"), as ini "everything's under control"; this means that things are going well and there should not be any immediate insurmountable problems.
Edit: You are most welcome, rosicler!
Thanks, nichec! I don't agree that everything has to be "under one's control" in order to "stay on top of things". For example, if I "stay on top of" current affairs, I am merely keeping myself informed about them, but don't necessarily have any control whatsoever over them. Ah, perhaps you mean "everything under control" (without the "your"), as ini "everything's under control"; this means that things are going well and there should not be any immediate insurmountable problems.
Edit: You are most welcome, rosicler!
Yeap! Let me edit my post.........
Thanks, nichec! I don't agree that everything has to be "under one's control" in order to "stay on top of things". For example, if I "stay on top of" current affairs, I am merely keeping myself informed about them, but don't necessarily have any control whatsoever over them.
Thank you, emma42. That excellent example explains precisely what I was trying to communicate.
I'll probably add to any confusion that there might be, but I don't see any direct connection between being prepared and being on top of things. True, if I am on top of things I am ready to face the next thing, but that is incidental. If I am on top of things, I don't have a pile of unpaid bills, another pile of un-replied letters, an e-mail in-box four miles long, and a to-do list as long as my arm.
The next thing that comes along could well find me completely unprepared for whatever it is, but at least my mind will be free from concern about things undone, and my time will be available to commit to the new thing.
I'll probably add to any confusion that there might be, but I don't see any direct connection between being prepared and being on top of things. True, if I am on top of things I am ready to face the next thing, but that is incidental. If I am on top of things, I don't have a pile of unpaid bills, another pile of un-replied letters, an e-mail in-box four miles long, and a to-do list as long as my arm.
The next thing that comes along could well find me completely unprepared for whatever it is, but at least my mind will be free from concern about things undone, and my time will be available to commit to the new thing.
I suppose that in that sense, "I'm on top of things" may be used to suggest that I am in control of things up to that point (as much control as I could have, depending on the context).
Of course, if you state that you will stay on top of things, the presumption is that you intend to remain either "in control" or "in the know," ceteris paribus.
I suppose that in that sense, "I'm on top of things" may be used to suggest that I am in control of things up to that point (as much control as I could have, depending on the context).
Of course, if you state that you will stay on top of things, the presumption is that you intend to remain either "in control" or "in the know," ceteris paribus.
"Remain in the know", that's great!
The original sentence says "being", not "staying". It means I like the times when I am (happen to be) "in the know" and "in control". It sounds like someone who likes to be prepared but may have lapses, like me for example.