Difference in meaning between the words

Question

What is the difference between these words? take, bring, send, fetch Thanks.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

tamguatlayWhat is the difference between these words? take, bring, send, fetch Thanks.

Have you checked a dictionary? What about these words is giving you trouble?

I've seen your posts, and I'm sure you could use any of those words in a sentence.

CJ

Tamguatlay · Answer

Where I live, people use the words interchangeably.

For example, Let me bring, send, take, fetch you to school.

The most common sentence is "Let me send you to school."

CalifJim · Answer

tamguatlayWhere I live, people use the words interchangeably.

That surprises me. I'd say Let me take you to school. When you take someone somewhere you accompany them there. You go there with them. Either you walk with them there or you drive them there.

If I were at the school and I noticed that a child was missing, I could call one of the parents and ask them to bring the child to school. That's because the movement is toward me. It's like 'come'. Come to school and bring the child with you. It's the opposite of 'take': Go to school and take the child with you.

'send' is usually used for letters and packages. You send them. If we say 'send (someone) to school', we often mean that we pay for a son's or daughter's higher education at a university.

In American English we hardly ever use 'fetch', so obviously I would not use that. To fetch someone would be to go and find them, and get them, and bring them back. It also works for objects. You can use 'Fetch' to command a dog. You throw a dog toy across the lawn and say "Fetch", and the dog goes and gets it and brings it back to you. The dog thinks it's great fun. This usage of "Fetch" in playing with a dog is probably the most frequent use of 'fetch' in American English.

CJ

Tamguatlay · Answer

Thanks, CJ.

Do native speakers use "collect" in respect of a person? For example, I will collect my son from school at 2pm.

CalifJim · Answer

tamguatlay I will collect my son from school at 2pm.

Yes, but it's exclusively British. It would be very rare to hear it in the U.S.

CJ

Difference in meaning between the words

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions