Two form errors account for most noticeable mistakes, and both become straightforward once you recognize the pattern.
The past tense is "struck up", not "striked up." Strike follows an irregular conjugation: strike, struck, struck. The present form is "strikes up," and the gerund is "striking up." Position the object immediately after "up." Say "strike up a conversation", not "strike a conversation up."
An irregular verb, and a fixed phrase
The first error is treating the past tense as regular: people incorrectly say "striked up" instead of "struck up." This common mistake is immediately noticeable.
The second error is separating the expression. Unlike many phrasal verbs, "strike up" stays fixed, with the object immediately after "up." With a person and topic, follow this established order: "strike up a conversation with [someone] about [something]." Do not use "strike up [someone]," "strike up with [someone]" alone, or "strike up about [something]" alone.
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"We striked up a great conversation" is incorrect. "We struck up a great conversation" is correct.
"He struck a conversation up with the CEO" is incorrect because it separates the object from "up." "He struck up a conversation with the CEO" is correct.
"She struck up a rapport to the client" and "She struck up the client" are both incorrect. The first uses the incorrect preposition, while the second treats the person as the object. "She struck up a rapport with the client" is correct.
Practice scenarios
Practice using strike up in these professional situations.
- describe a past conversation with the correct irregular conjugation
- position a conversation, person, and topic in the correct order
- correct a sentence that separates the expression or misuses the preposition
Useful practice phrases.
- "We struck up a great conversation with..."
- "He struck up a conversation with [someone] about [something]."
- "She struck up a rapport with the client."
Use struck, not striked. Position up before the direct object.
These two simple rules make the complete expression easier to use.
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