Meaning & use
take
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To get hold of something and move it with you or bring it to a place.
Grammar: Takes an object: take an umbrella.
Patterns
- take something to someone
- take something with you
- take someone somewhere
Take an umbrella; it might rain.
I'll take the children to school.
She took her coat from the hook.
verbtransitive
To accept or receive something offered or given.
Grammar: Often with payments, advice or gifts.
Patterns
- take advice
- take a gift
He took the job offer immediately.
Do you take credit cards?
She took his advice and saw a doctor.
verbtransitive
To need an amount of time, effort or ability for something.
Grammar: Often with 'it': it takes two hours.
Patterns
- it takes time to do something
- take someone some time
The trip takes about an hour.
It takes courage to speak up.
Baking the bread took longer than expected.
verbtransitive
To perform an action or carry out a step.
Grammar: Used with nouns like a walk, a break or a photo.
Patterns
- take a walk
- take a break
- take a photo
Let's take a short break.
He took a photo of the sunset.
They took a walk after dinner.
verbtransitive
To use a particular means of transport or route.
Grammar: Take the bus, take a left.
Patterns
- take the bus
- take the first exit
I take the train to work.
Take the second road on your left.
We took a taxi to the airport.
nouncountableinformal
A person's opinion or way of seeing something.
Grammar: Often 'a take on something'.
Patterns
- a take on something
What's your take on the new policy?
The film offers a fresh take on the old story.
Her take on the situation was surprising.
Word forms
| third person singular | takes |
|---|---|
| past tense | took |
| past participle | taken |
| -ing form | taking |
Common combinations
- take a break
- Let's take a break for ten minutes.
- take place
- The ceremony will take place on Friday.
- take advantage of
- Take advantage of the sale.
- take care of
- She takes care of her grandmother.
- take responsibility
- He took responsibility for the mistake.
- take into account
- The plan takes weather into account.
Synonyms and how they differ
- grab
- Grab is quicker and more abrupt than take.
- seize
- Seize is forceful or sudden and more formal than take.
- bring
- Bring moves something toward the speaker, while take moves it away.
- accept
- Accept fits the sense of receiving something offered, but take is broader.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: take or bring?
take vs bring
Take means carry away from the speaker, while bring means carry toward the speaker.
Practice
It will ___ about twenty minutes to walk to the station.
Choose one answer.
'It takes' is the pattern used for the time needed. Bring, make and spend do not fit this construction.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “take”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.