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Grammar, compared

Bring vs take

Bring moves something toward the speaker or the place being talked about. Take moves something away from here.

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The short answer

Bring / Take
BringTake
Bring your laptop to the meeting. (toward where I am, or where we'll both be)Take your laptop home with you. (away from here)
Can you bring me a coffee? (toward me)Can you take this to the kitchen? (away from here)
She brought a gift to the party. (toward the party, where the speaker is)He took the rubbish out. (away from the house)

How each one works

Bring and take compared
PointBringTake
DirectionToward the speaker or the place being discussedAway from the speaker or the current place
ExamplePlease bring your ID to the office.Please take these documents to the office. (from here)
Think of it asCome with somethingGo with something
Fixed phrasesbring up (a topic), bring back (a memory)take off (a plane, clothes), take away (food)

Watch out if you speak Spanish

  • Traer and llevar map closely to bring and take, so if you already separate them in Spanish, apply the same logic in English.
  • The test is where the speaker is, or will be, not where the object starts. If you are inviting someone to your place, say bring: bring a jacket, it's cold here.
  • When you are talking about somewhere else, away from the current location, use take: I'll take some snacks to the picnic.
  • Both can combine with along for emphasis: bring your friends along, take an umbrella along.

Practice

Grammar practice

Choose or type the answer for each sentence, then check.

  1. 1. Please your passport when you come to the office tomorrow.
  2. 2. Don't forget to an umbrella with you when you leave.
  3. 3. Can you me some water, please?
  4. 4. I'll these boxes to the new office tomorrow.
  5. 5. She always a book when she travels.

  6. 6. Could you

    your ID when you come tomorrow?

  7. 7. He

    the kids to school every morning.

  8. 8. Thanks for

    the photos, I loved seeing them.

0 of 8 checked

Questions

How do I know which one to use?
Think about where the speaker is, now or in the conversation. Moving toward that point is bring. Moving away from it is take.
What about bring up and take off?
Those are fixed phrasal verbs with their own meanings: bring up a topic means to mention it, take off a plane means it leaves the ground, take off your coat means remove it.

Keep going

Want to practise this with Pili?

Book a trial class. She writes back with times in Buenos Aires time.

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