It’s easy enough to see how people could confuse this word confusion between bring and take. For one, bring has a much nicer connotation, more giving while take just sounds plain tacky, selfish.
I know that my first thought involving bring is the question I ask my host/ess when I’ve been invited somewhere: What can I bring? So it’s natural to assume I’m bringing something to the party.
However, I am going TO the party, which means I am taking something there FROM home or the store.
On my hostess’ part, she is anticipating what I am bringing TO her party.
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
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| Bring | Take |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Verb, transitive
Third person present verb: brings |
Noun Verb, intransitive & transitive Plural for the noun: takes Third person present verb: takes |
| Use bring from the point of arrival
Verb, transitive Come to a place with someone or something Cause someone or something to come to a place Make someone or something to move in a particular direction or way Cause something to be in or change to a particular state or condition Involve someone in a particular activity [A negative] Force oneself to do something unpleasant or distressing Cause someone to receive an amount of money as income or profit |
Use take from the point of departure
Noun: Scene or sequence of sound or vision photographed or recorded continuously at one take Particular version of or approach to something An amount of something gained or acquired from one source or in one session Money received at a theater, area, etc. for seats [Printing] An amount of copy set up at one time or by one compositor Verb, intransitive: [Grammar] To have or require as part of the appropriate construction Verb, transitive To carry or bring with one, convey To accept or receive someone or something To make, undertake, or perform an action or task To require or use up a specified amount of time |
| Examples: | |
| When you come to the party, please bring a bottle of wine.
She brought him through his ordeal. I’ll give you some aspirin to bring down his temperature. I hope Marilyn brings her homemade caramels. |
Noun: He completed a difficult scene in two takes. He had his own whimsical take on life. Well, what’s your take on commodity taxation? Verb, intransitive: The tomato seeds took well and are about an inch-and-a-half high. It’ll take a bit of effort to finish this off. Verb, transitive: We should take some flowers to her. I’ll take you to your room. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Noun: bringer, bringing Verb, transitive: outbring, outbrought, outbringing |
Adjective: takable, takeable, untakable, untakeable Noun: take-home pay, take-up, takeaway, takedown, taker, takeoff, takeout, takeover, taker |
| Phrasal Verb | |
| bring something about bring something back bring someone down bring something down bring something forth bring something forward bring something in bring someone off bring something off bring someone on bring something on bring someone out bring something out bring someone around bring someone to bring something to bring up bring someone up bring something up |
take after take someone apart take something apart take something away take away from take someone back take something back take something down take from take someone in take something in take off take something off take someone on take something on take someone out take something out take something out on take something over take to take something up take someone on up take up with |
| History of the Word: | |
| Old English bringan is of Germanic origin and related to the Dutch brengen and the German bringen. | Late Old English tacan meaning get (especially by force), capture is from the Old Norse taka meaning grasp, lay hold of, and is of unknown ultimate origin. |
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Bring versus Take
Apple Dictionary.com
Karen’s Linguistic Issues
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Fly Fisher Stands in Water and Fishing by John and Karen Hollingsworth from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Revised as of 7 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie