Killing the Confusion: Fill Up, Fill Out, Fill In

Recently, I was surfing the web for random topics that I could read, and I came across a document from an Indian Government, which looks like a guideline for passport application. I was carefully scanning the document when I incidentally spotted some noticeable errors. I was shocked to read some grammatical errors , specifically on the use of the word fill up, from an official government document. Here are the sentences that were incorrectly written:

Please follow the instructions as given in Column 2.1 of Section B for filling up details in this column.

Leave one box blank after each complete word, while filling up the boxes.

Particulars given in the application form will be printed in the passport booklet. Therefore, you must be careful in filling up the Application Form and submit the form without mistakes. The applicant shall be held responsible for any mistake in the application

form submitted.

This incorrect-use-of-fill-up problem is common even among Filipinos. I remember myself hearing a lot of fill-up lines from different people. =)

“Sir, paki fill up-an na lang po ang form na ito.” [“Sir, please fill up this form.”]

...and the likes... :)

Because of this confusion that seems to be everywhere, I thought of discussing about when to use fill in, fill out, and fill up.


FILL UP:
It means to make full or fill a container (or anything) with something up.

Examples:

The gasoline boy filled up the tank with gasoline.

Mom said, “Don’t fill up your stomach with junk food!”

Note 1: Fill can also be used as a substitute for fill up. We can say “You fill up the container with water.” or “You fill the container with water.” The only difference is that when you say fill up, you really mean to say to make the container full, and when you say fill, you just mean to fill the container, not necessarily full.

Note 2: Saying “fill up the form” for the purpose of telling to write the needed information on the form is incorrect. When you said “fill up the form”, it means you’ve used all the available spaces on the form and you need to ask for another sheet of paper. :)


FILL IN:
It is used to mean these:

• supply something that’s missing.
• enter something (one field or a few fields only; not the whole form) on a form.
• substitute for an absent colleague at work.

Examples:

“Please fill in the name field on this form.”

“Please fill in the blanks on the Test A of your exam.”


FILL OUT:
It means to complete a form or a survey by supplying the needed information. To create a comparison between fill in and fill out, make a mental picture of a form with a few blank fields only (e.g. a document with name and date blank fields (only) on its top portion), we should say “Please fill in your name and the date today on that document.”, on the other hand, make a mental picture of a document full of blanks and fields, we should say “Please fill out the document and send to me after you are done with all the information being asked.”

I hope this has been helpful! :)