BRING vs. TAKE

[grapefruit]

I have a question. When do you use "take" and "bring" in sentences like "I brought friends to..."? Would the use be any different if what comes after the verb is a physical object instead of an animate entity?

 

[Glenski]

It doesn't matter if the object is animate or inanimate.

 

[Ashikaga]

I suppose in some situations, one is appropriate while the other isn't.

Let us say you have taken/brought a friend to a party.

If you are still AT the party, the use of "take" would be wrong.

"Hey, grapefruit! Thanks for the invite. Here, I've brought a friend of mine."


To me, the difference between "taking a friend to a party" and "bringing a friend to a party" is that in the former, the main event is going to the party with the friend while in the latter, it is going to the party, and your friend going with you is secondary.

 

[grapefruit]

I suppose in some situations, one is appropriate while the other isn't.
Let us say you have taken/brought a friend to a party.
If you are still AT the party, the use of "take" would be wrong.
"Hey, grapefruit! Thanks for the invite. Here, I've brought a friend of mine."
To me, the difference between "taking a friend to a party" and "bringing a friend to a party" is that in the former, the main event is going to the party with the friend while in the latter, it is going to the party, and your friend going with you is secondary.

Does it mean if the speaker (or the agent of the verb?) stays at the destination, "bring" would be the choice, whereas if the speaker does not stay at the location, "take" is going to be used?

 

[NewHero]

the difference between "taking a friend to a party" and "bringing a friend to a party" is that in the former, the main event is going to the party with the friend while in the latter, it is going to the party, and your friend going with you is secondary.

Perhaps you mixed former and latter here?

It depends on context. Like if someone asks you if you are lonely at the party, you could say: "Don't worry, I brought a friend with me." Here the emphasis is on "with me". And you are correct that you would not say "took" in this situation.

Examine these 2 sentences:

I took my daughter to her school.
I brought my daughter to her school.

Both of these sentences mean the exact same thing. No difference. However, it is more common to say "took" in this context because, as grapefruit is thinking, the parent is not staying at the location. I really want to emphasize that it is merely "more common". Please don't think of it as horribly wrong to say "brought" in this situation. Native speakers will use both in normal speech. For example, you will often hear these expressions: "Take your daughter to work day" or "Bring your daughter to work day". Both of these sentences mean the exact same thing. In other words, 'bring' and 'take' are often used interchangeably. However there are certain situations where you would use one and not the other.

I understand how it can be confusing because there's no difference between "you took a friend to a party" and "you brought a friend to a party". If you want to suggest that the friend provided you company, you would say: "I brought a friend with me to the party" or "I took a friend with me to the party". Still, this is only a suggestion. It doesn't mean that the friend necessarily stayed by your side during the festivities.

 

[Glenski]

Uh, you might want to consult a grammar source. Here are a few.

How to Use Bring, Take, Fetch, and Get
Bring vs Take
Grammar Girl

And an all-purpose site.
Common Mistakes and Tricky Choices, Contents

 

[Taiko666]

.

Examine these 2 sentences:

I took my daughter to her school.
I brought my daughter to her school.

Both of these sentences mean the exact same thing. No difference.

The meanings of those two sentences are both different and completely clear.

I took my daughter to her school.
The speaker accompanied his daughter to school, and is now speaking at some location other than that school.

I brought my daughter to her school.
The speaker accompanied his daughter to school, and is now speaking at that school.

Bring and take differ in the direction of motion wrt to the speaker. It seems that in American English at least this difference is being lost, much in the safe way that imply and infer are misused.

Please bring a bottle to my party!
The speaker is speaking either literally or figurative from the location of his party, so he uses bring

Let's take a bottle to Bob's party!
The speak is not at the location of the party, so he uses take.

 

[grapefruit]

The meanings of those two sentences are both different and completely clear.
To me, the difference between "taking a friend to a party" and "bringing a friend to a party" is that in the former, the main event is going to the party with the friend while in the latter, it is going to the party, and your friend going with you is secondary.
I took my daughter to her school.
The speaker accompanied his daughter to school, and is now speaking at some location other than that school.
I brought my daughter to her school.
The speaker accompanied his daughter to school, and is now speaking at that school.
Bring and take differ in the direction of motion wrt to the speaker. It seems that in American English at least this difference is being lost, much in the safe way that imply and infer are misused.
Please bring a bottle to my party!
The speaker is speaking either literally or figurative from the location of his party, so he uses bring
Let's take a bottle to Bob's party!
The speak is not at the location of the party, so he uses take.

This makes sense. Thank you Taiko666-san.

Just to clarify, in the last example "Let's take a bottle to Bob's party!" the main point is to go to Bob's party with a bottle, isn't it? If the main point is simply to go to Bob's party and to bring a bottle is secondary, then would "Let's bring a bottle to Bob's party!" sound more appropriate?

 

[grapefruit]

Both of these sentences mean the exact same thing. No difference. However, it is more common to say "took" in this context because, as grapefruit is thinking, the parent is not staying at the location. I really want to emphasize that it is merely "more common". Please don't think of it as horribly wrong to say "brought" in this situation. Native speakers will use both in normal speech. For example, you will often hear these expressions: "Take your daughter to work day" or "Bring your daughter to work day". Both of these sentences mean the exact same thing. In other words, 'bring' and 'take' are often used interchangeably. However there are certain situations where you would use one and not the other.

I understand how it can be confusing because there's no difference between "you took a friend to a party" and "you brought a friend to a party". If you want to suggest that the friend provided you company, you would say: "I brought a friend with me to the party" or "I took a friend with me to the party". Still, this is only a suggestion. It doesn't mean that the friend necessarily stayed by your side during the festivities.

Thanks New Hero-san. The issue of "with" makes me realized the real complexity of the question.

 

[Glenn]

...much in the safe way that imply and infer are misused.

That one drives me crazy, but not as much as people using "literally" like it's a cooler version of "very" or some sort of intensifier (because it's not nearly as common). Good example of that misuse, from someone who's supposedly a doctor of something talking about Britney Spears: "she's literally on a roller coaster to hell." Interesting, doc. Tell me, where is this roller coaster, and why has it not been reported before?

 

[Taiko666]

This makes sense. Thank you Taiko666-san.
Just to clarify, in the last example "Let's take a bottle to Bob's party!" the main point is to go to Bob's party with a bottle, isn't it? If the main point is simply to go to Bob's party and to bring a bottle is secondary, then would "Let's bring a bottle to Bob's party!" sound more appropriate?

There are no subtle nuances involved; the choice of bring or take is based solely on the direction wrt the speaker. So it's "let's take a bottle to Bob's party." "Let's bring a bottle to Bob's party" is actually illogical.

 

[Taiko666]

That one drives me crazy, but not as much as people using "literally" like it's a cooler version of "very" or some sort of intensifier (because it's not nearly as common). Good example of that misuse, from someone who's supposedly a doctor of something talking about Britney Spears: "she's literally on a roller coaster to hell." Interesting, doc. Tell me, where is this roller coaster, and why has it not been reported before?

I've literally split my sides with laughter!!! Messy.

Yes, literally is one of my gripes, but in these touchy-feely times one just gets branded a prig or grammar-nazi if one objects.

It's ok for a language to change, but not when it shrinks. Nuances and meanings are being lost all the time in homogenous world English. The meaning of infer will be lost before long. Another example of shrinkage is the nuance lost when the simple past tense is used instead of the present perfect continuous.

"This page was accessed 100 times" - In UK English the nuance is that the page was accessed 100 times and won't be accessed again. Finito!

"This page has been accessed 100 times" - The nuance is that the page has been accessed 100 times and counting!

I'll stop myself there.

 

[grapefruit]

There are no subtle nuances involved; the choice of bring or take is based solely on the direction wrt the speaker. So it's "let's take a bottle to Bob's party." "Let's bring a bottle to Bob's party" is actually illogical.

Taiko666-saaaan! I'm more puzzled now. I thought you said the distinction between bring and take is

"taking a friend to a party" and "bringing a friend to a party" is that in the former, the main event is going to the party with the friend while in the latter, it is going to the party, and your friend going with you is secondary.

According to this explanation, no direction with respect to the interlocutor is involved...... isn't it:?

 

[tonigobe]

LOL! You gotta luv the English language! I like Taiko666's explanation. But here's yet another way of looking at the two words!

When you "take" something, you are being, in a sense, forceful, personal, exclusive, and possessive.

"I took the bottle from you." ... and it is mine!

Thus, when you "take friends to the party," you are implying that you were the one most in charge. Perhaps you were the one that will drive your friends there. ("I took my friend by the hand and I dragged her to the party!")

When you "bring" something, you are being less forceful and perhaps more inclusive (perhaps with the intention of sharing), unless you qualify or disqualify it.

"I brought the bottle to you" ... but it is mine!

Thus, when you "bring friends to the party" you are implying that you are escorting them, perhaps acting as an ambassador between your friends and the party host. ("I brought my friend to the party to show her off!)

OH! Here's "take" and "bring" used a sentence to possibly help you distinguish the two words.

"I took my friend by the hand and brought her to the party."

 

[Taiko666]

Taiko666-saaaan! I'm more puzzled now. I thought you said the distinction between bring and take is

According to this explanation, no direction with respect to the interlocutor is involved...... isn't it:?

Sorry there grapefruit! The text you've quoted ended up in my post by accident. I actually wholeheartedly disagree with that explanation.

 

[grapefruit]

Sorry there grapefruit! The text you've quoted ended up in my post by accident. I actually wholeheartedly disagree with that explanation.

You mean this quote?

There are no subtle nuances involved; the choice of bring or take is based solely on the direction wrt the speaker. So it's "let's take a bottle to Bob's party." "Let's bring a bottle to Bob's party" is actually illogical.

Or, this quote?

"taking a friend to a party" and "bringing a friend to a party" is that in the former, the main event is going to the party with the friend while in the latter, it is going to the party, and your friend going with you is secondary.

Which one is the explanation you wholeheartedly disagree with?

 

[Taiko666]

This is what I'm saying:

"There are no subtle nuances involved; the choice of bring or take is based solely on the direction wrt the speaker. So it's "let's take a bottle to Bob's party." "Let's bring a bottle to Bob's party" is actually illogical."


And I completely disagree with this:

taking a friend to a party" and "bringing a friend to a party" is that in the former, the main event is going to the party with the friend while in the latter, it is going to the party, and your friend going with you is secondary.

I'll be more careful with my cutting & pasting in future!