Bring vs. take

Question

Hi,Take an umbrella with you in case it rains.Bring an umbrella with you in case it rains.My mom always takes me back home.My mom always brings me back home.Which one is correct? I think both of them are right,but I am not sure. If I am wrong,what´s the difference between using these two?Thanks in advance!

LouiseT · Accepted Answer

These sentences can be are correct depending on context and where you are when you are speaking.

You bring things to the place where you live or where you are and you take them from where you are located to somewhere else.

For example:-

Take an umbrella with you in case it rains. Said as you are about to leave home by someone who is there.
Bring an umbrella with you in case it rains. Said by someone on the telephone when you are going to leave home to meet them.

My mom always takes me back home. You could say this when you are at school.
My mom always brings me back home. You could say this when you are at home.

Bring means to bear HERE or move TOWARD the speaker.

I will bring a salad home to eat.
Will you bring the paperwork with you tomorrow for our meeting?
I brought leftovers for lunch today

Take means to bear THERE or to take AWAY from the speaker

I will take a salad to the picnic.
Please take your plate to the dishwasher.
You can take my coat with you to keep warm.

BarbaraPA · Answer

Without disagreeing with Louise's excellent explanation, I want to add that despite "rules" about this use, these words are not always used so precisely.

Sometimes the speaker is already picturing being "there" in their minds, so they might mention the need to "bring an umbrella" even while they are still home, because they are seeing themselves at the event and wishing they had brought one with them.

Likewise, you could be sitting at home, planning who is picking up which child at which activity later that night and refer to "taking Jim home" because you are picturing yourself at baseball practice and and heading home.

In short, you have more freedom in the choice of these words than you might think, depending on what is in your mind as much as where you physically are.

LouiseT · Answer

Grammar GeekI want to add that despite "rules" about this use, these words are not always used so precisely.

I agree. It is often the case with English that we have rules but usage is not so precise.

For "bring" and "take" I often hear them used as you have described especially in America and Ireland (but in the rest of the UK as well).

Thank you for adding that explanation.

Bring vs. take

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