You Couldn’t Make It Up!

B1 8+
Pronunciation Definitions Examples Grammatical Forms Origin and Evolution

Pronunciation: /ju kʊdnt meɪk ɪt ʌp/

Definitions of you couldn’t make it up!

pronoun a word that can function by itself as a noun phrase and that refers either to the participants in the discourse (e.g., I, you) or to someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the discourse (e.g., she, it).

Example Sentences

A1 You couldn't make it up! The cat chased the mouse.

A2 You couldn't make it up! She forgot her own birthday.

B1 You couldn't make it up! The car broke down on the way to the wedding.

B2 You couldn't make it up! He won the lottery twice in one year.

C1 You couldn't make it up! The CEO of the company turned out to be a former criminal.

C2 You couldn't make it up! The politician's scandal was even more shocking than the last.

Examples of you couldn’t make it up! in a Sentence

formal The series of events that occurred leading up to the election results is so unbelievable, you couldn’t make it up!

informal I mean, the drama with our neighbors is so ridiculous, you couldn’t make it up!

slang The way she got out of that sticky situation was so wild, you couldn’t make it up!

figurative The coincidences in their love story are so perfect, you couldn’t make it up!

Grammatical Forms of you couldn’t make it up!

past tense

you couldn't have made it up

plural

you all couldn't make it up

comparative

you can't make it up better

superlative

you can't make it up the best

present tense

you can't make it up

future tense

you will not be able to make it up

perfect tense

you have not been able to make it up

continuous tense

you are not making it up

singular

you can't make it up

positive degree

you can make it up

infinitive

to not make it up

gerund

not making it up

participle

not made up

Origin and Evolution of you couldn’t make it up!

First Known Use: 1800 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The phrase 'you couldn’t make it up!' likely originated from the idea that certain unbelievable or absurd situations are so outlandish that they seem like they must have been invented or fabricated.
Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase has come to be used to express astonishment or incredulity at a situation or story that is so unbelievable it seems like it could not possibly be true. It has evolved to convey a sense of incredulity and disbelief towards something that is beyond imagination or comprehension.