Bring And take sometimes used in the same context, which makes people who have strong feelings about such things very uncomfortable. Just what is dealing with bring And take?
And do you ‘bring’ or ‘bring’ some beer to your friend’s place?
Sometimes we apply one or the other which is obvious to any native speaker:
Please bring me that dictionary.
We won’t say “give me that dictionary” because the word for bringing something towards the speaker (or other place where the action word is being considered) is bring.
Likewise we have:
Please take that poor quality dictionary.
We won’t say “take that dictionary” because the word for bringing something to another place is take.
But what about an excellent dictionary that will be taken by the speaker somewhere else?
I’ll take this dictionary to my favorite pub—they should have one at the bar.
OR:
I’ll take this dictionary to my favorite pub—they should have one at the bar.
Either of those are likely to come from the mouth of a native speaker interested in accessing dictionaries at pubs. But is a right?
People who feel strongly about bring And take will vehemently tell you that, yes, the first is true and the second is not. They will tell you that bring implies movement towards the speaker, while take implies long distance movement. If the destination of the dictionary is a pub where I am not currently, I can only take dictionary there; I can not bring It.
But while it is true that we use bring for movement towards (“bring it here”) and take for the movement to go (“take it away”), native English speakers also use bring And take in the case of motion-independent.
Sometimes, it’s not clear what the direction of motion is. If you are the one carrying the dictionary on someone’s behalf, you will deliver the dictionary they gave you to your favorite pub, which means that the dictionary is moving towards you at first, but then You and the dictionary will leave wherever you are as you continue to the pub. They can reasonably ask you bring or take dictionary with you.
The happenings in the speaker’s mind also work. If you are looking forward to your next pub visit and intend to find a place to have a pristine replica of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, you might mutter to yourself, “Don’t forget to bring a dictionary.” In your mind, you’re on your way to the pub and imagine yourself sitting at the bar (recognizing again how the situation would be improved if there were a copy of a quality dictionary there. for company). Likewise, you can whisper, “Don’t forget to get the dictionary,” the journey to the pub has yet to be made in your mind.
While those who feel strongly about such things will denounce the first mutter as a linguistic farce, its use bring words at least from Bard himself. In “Much Ado About Nothing”, the Dogberry cop went to a judge with news of the arrest of a few suspects he wanted the judge to examine; the judge hurried away and told Dogberry to examine the men for himself. As the judge left, Dogberry told his partner Verges:
Go away, good partner, go take you to Francis Seacoal; asked him to bring his pen and inkwell to the prison.
And “The Comedy of Error” includes an exchange in which two men both think the other has a particular gold chain:
ANTIPHOLUS (By EPHESUS). And with you, take the necklace, and bid my wife / Disburse the amount when received. / Maybe I’ll get there as soon as you.
ANGEL. Then will you bring her the necklace yourself?
Like the happier version of you, expecting a pub dictionary, Dogberry and Angelo are thinking ahead.
As often happens, native speakers can trust their own ears when they decide between bring And take: if there is no false sound, either good.
Summary:
While bring usually implies movement towards the speaker, and take usually implies movement away from the speaker, one of two words used when it is unclear or unimportant what the direction of motion is: “Bring the Merriam-Webster dictionary to the pub” and “Bring the Merriam dictionary with you” -Webster to the pub”. pub” are perfectly acceptable.
Categories: Usage Notes
Source: vothisaucamau.edu.vn
