sign on

sign on — phrasal verb

  • sign onbase form
  • signs on3rd person singular
  • signing on-ing form
  • signed onpast simple

1. to agree to take part in an organized event, campaign, or project by putting you

1.片語動詞不及物B1
釋義

to agree to take part in an organized event, campaign, or project by putting your name on an official list.

例句

Amelia signed on for the charity bike ride that raises money for local hospitals.

sign on + for + [activity/noun]

Over a hundred neighbours signed on to help clean up the park after the storm.

sign on + to + [verb phrase]

同義詞
  • sign up

    more common in American English; slightly less formal

  • volunteer

    implies unpaid work specifically

文法句型

sign on + for/to + [activity]

用法筆記

Often interchangeable with 'sign up' (especially in American English). 'Sign on' may imply a slightly more formal or long-term commitment than 'sign up'.

2. to sign a formal document agreeing to work for an employer, start a new job, or

2.片語動詞不及物B2
釋義

to sign a formal document agreeing to work for an employer, start a new job, or take on a specific paid role.

例句

Sana signed on with a publishing house right after she finished university.

sign on + with + [employer/company]

Zayd signed on as a software engineer at a small tech start-up in Berlin.

sign on + as + [job title]

同義詞
  • sign up

    more general; can mean joining anything, not just work

  • enlist

    specifically for military service or formal long-term commitments

  • hire on

    informal; used mainly in American workplaces

反義詞
  • quit

    to leave a job voluntarily

  • resign

    formal way of ending employment

文法句型

sign on + with/as + [employer/role]

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 3 (UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS): this sense is about starting paid work, not claiming benefits. The verb root ('to engage oneself by signature') applies here — the written agreement is the key element.

常見錯誤

❌I signed on a new phone plan.
✅I signed up for a new phone plan.
💡'sign on' for contracts involves employment or military service, not consumer services.

3. to register as someone without paid work at a state-run employment centre, quali

3.片語動詞不及物B2
釋義

to register as someone without paid work at a state-run employment centre, qualifying for weekly financial support from the government until you find a new position.

例句

After the factory closed, Quinn had to sign on at the local job centre.

sign on + at [location] for unemployment benefits

Roya has been signing on for six months while retraining as a nurse.

progressive: signing on + for + duration

同義詞

文法句型

sign on + (no object)

用法筆記

Chiefly British English. In the UK, 'signing on' specifically refers to claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit at a Jobcentre Plus office.

常見錯誤

❌I signed on for a loan at the bank.
✅I signed up for a loan at the bank.
💡'sign on' for benefits is government-related; 'sign up' is used for services, courses, or financial products.