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bring   –  take  –  fetch

[The following meanings are apart from several other meanings.]

“Bring” implies movement towards (→) the speaker.

“Bring” is ‘to have something or someone with you when you come to a place or person’,

bring – brought – brought — bringing

(bringing)

e.g.

Will you please bring some apples when you come home?

[i.e.  the speaker is at home and the listener is somewhere else]

“Take”, in this context, implies movement away ( ↑ ) from the speaker.

“Take” is ‘to have something or someone with you when you go to a place or person’,

take – took – taken – taking

(taking home)

e.g.

Will you please take some apples when you go home?

[i.e. the speaker and the listener are not at home]

“Fetch” implies movement first away from the speaker and again back (↔) to the speaker.

“Fetch” is ‘to go (to a certain place) get or find something or someone, and bring them back (with you to the speaker)’,

fetch – fetched – fetched – fetching

(a dog fetching a stick back to its master)

e.g.

Will you please fetch me my bag from the other room?

[i.e. the speaker and the listener are in one room, and now the listener must go to the other room where the bag is, find it and bring it back to the speaker]

Common Errors:

1.

The new manager is trying to bring changes in our office.  [wrong]

The new manager is trying to bring about changes in our office.  [right]

2.

The factory’s export division brings a lot of foreign exchange.  [wrong]

The factory’s export division brings in a lot of foreign exchange. [right]

3.

She isn’t attending the English course because she is bringing up her brother.  [wrong]

She isn’t attending the English course because she is looking after her brother. [right]

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