Bring vs Take: Which One Do You Need?
Bring moves something towards the speaker. Take moves it away.
Bring it here. Take it there.
The test that settles it
Ask where you are standing in the sentence. Movement towards that point is bring; movement away from it is take.
“Please ___ the file to my desk” → towards me, so bring.
“Please ___ the file to accounts” → away from me, so take.
It works exactly like come and go. Bring pairs with come; take pairs with go.
Bring: towards the speaker
The destination is where the speaker is, or will be. Its past forms are brought.
Could you bring me a chair?
Bring your notes to the meeting.
She brought the parcel upstairs.
Does it end up where you are? Then bring.
Take: away from the speaker
The destination is somewhere else. Its past forms are took and taken.
Take this to the post office.
He took the dog for a walk.
Remember to take an umbrella.
Does it leave where you are? Then take.
Side by side
| Bring | Take |
|---|---|
| Towards the speaker | Away from the speaker |
| Pairs with come | Pairs with go |
| Past: brought | Past: took, taken |
| Bring it here | Take it away |
The exceptions
The reference point is wherever the speaker imagines themselves, which is not always where they are standing.
On the phone you might say I will bring it over tomorrow, because you are picturing yourself already at the other end.
Take a photograph, bring up a subject, take a break, bring about a change — none of these is about direction, and none can be swapped.
Where people get it wrong
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I will bring the children to school. | I will take the children to school. | Away from home. |
| Take me a glass of water. | Bring me a glass of water. | Towards the speaker. |
| Do not forget to bring your passport to the airport. | Do not forget to take your passport to the airport. | Unless you are already at the airport. |
| She brang it home. | She brought it home. | The past is brought. |
Practice — choose the right word, then check yourself.
- Please ___ these letters to the post box.
- Can you ___ me the scissors?
- He ___ his guitar to the party.
- I will ___ the car to the garage tomorrow.
- ___ a jacket when you come.
Show the answers
1. take 2. bring 3. brought 4. take 5. Bring
Frequently asked
Why do speakers of some languages find this hard?
Because many languages use one verb for both directions. English forces the choice, and the choice depends on where the speaker imagines standing.
Is brang ever correct?
No. The past tense is brought in every standard variety.
More words people confuse
