# <bring><take> your umbrella



## wanabee

Dear all,

(When Child leaves home)
Mother: Don't forget to (take / bring) your umbrella!
Child: Thanks!

I made up the dialogue. Could someone tell me which word to use, _take_ or _bring_, in Mother's line?
I would appreciate any comments.


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## london calling

In BE we'd say 'Don't forget to take your umbrella', but I have a feeling that on the other side of the pond they might use 'bring'. Let's see what they say.


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## ron1759

Either one is OK in AmE.  My intuition is that "take" might actually be more common.


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## entangledbank

'Bring' includes the meaning "towards me", but the child is going away from the mother, so it doesn't bring the umbrella, it takes it (away).

The idea "towards me" can be "towards where I'm imagining myself to be", so if the mother is going to be at grandma's house when school gets out, and wants the child to take the umbrella to that house, she could say 'bring the umbrella', meaning bring it (from school) to me at my future location.


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## Myridon

london calling said:


> In BE we'd say 'Don't forget to take your umbrella', but I have a feeling that on the other side of the pond they might use 'bring'. Let's see what they say.


The difference between "bring" and "take" is the same here.


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## JustKate

I'd definitely use _take_ in the situation Wanabee describes. On the other hand, if someone were coming to visit me this spring, which has been a very wet one here, I'd use _bring_: "Don't forget to bring an umbrella, because you might need it." So I agree with ETB. I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure most AmE speakers still differentiate between _take_ and _bring_ this way.

_(Cross-posted with Myridon)_


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## Kimaunz

This discussion has been added to a previous threads. Cagey, moderator 

Hi,

Can you use "bring" instead of "take" in the following sentences?:

Please take your umbrella when you go out. It might rain today.

If you're going to Paris, be sure to take your camera with you. I want to see all the pictures when you've come back.


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## SwissPete

Kimaunz said:


> Can you use "bring" instead of "take" in the following sentences?


Yes.


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## Kimaunz

I thought only "take" would be possible. I don't understand.


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## JulianStuart

Kimaunz said:


> I thought only "take" would be possible. I don't understand.


My experience is that BE tends to stick to the usage you were taught* more than AE, while some AE speakers always use bring and never use take.  Both your sentences describe a situation where going is the direction (out or to Paris), so take follows that "rule".

*If you are going, you take and if you are coming you bring".  There are probably lots of threads on the topic - if you type _bring take_ into the search box and scroll down, you will find them.


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## Uncle Jack

I am used to seeing "bring" in sentences like the Paris one, where there is a known destination (although I would only ever use "take" myself). However, I cannot really imagine "bring" being used in the first sentence. Where will you bring the umbrella?


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## Kimaunz

So do you mean speakers of BE use only "take" in the sentences?


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## Uncle Jack

"Take" is easily the obvious choice with "go". If, in the second sentence, for example, the speaker or writer was already in Paris, then they might use "bring", but if they did this, they would probably use "come" as well. Where neither "come" nor "go" is used, then "bring" is often the preferred choice: "Don't forget to bring sandwiches tomorrow", for example.


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## Kimaunz

I'd like to know approximately how many speakers of BE stick to "take" in the above sentences. Do almost all speakers of BE use "take" in them?


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## velisarius

_Please bring_.... makes more sense than _Please take... 

Please bring your umbrella_... sounds reasonably logical. Perhaps the other person wants to shelter under her friend's umbrella when she meets him in town.
_Please take your umbrella... _I don't know why someone might use "please" when they are advising someone to take their umbrella when they go out.


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## Myridon

The usage taught in American English says that the choice depends on where the person is going relative to the speaker.  
Boss calling you from the office: Please bring your umbrella to the office.
Spouse sitting next to you at the breakfast table: Please take your umbrella to the office.


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## Kimaunz

velisarius said:


> _Please bring_.... makes more sense than _Please take...
> 
> Please bring your umbrella_... sounds reasonably logical. Perhaps the other person wants to shelter under her friend's umbrella when she meets him in town.
> _Please take your umbrella... _I don't know why someone might use "please" when they are advising someone to take their umbrella when they go out.


Imagine a mother speaks to her son, Tom in the morning before he goes out to school. Then can you say "Tom, bring your umbrella. It might rain today."? I suppose speakers of BE use only "take", but I'm starting to wonder speakers of AE use both "take" and "bring" in this case.


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## Loob

Kimaunz said:


> Imagine a mother speaks to her son, Tom in the morning before he goes out to school. Then can you say "Tom, bring your umbrella. It might rain today."?


No, she'd say "take".  Unless she was accompanying him to school; or unless she was a teacher and he was going to see her at school later.


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## Kimaunz

I'd like a response from a speaker of AE.


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## Kimaunz

Is it okay to use "bring" in the following conversation in BrE?:

A: I'm going to the party at Tom's house this Friday.
B: Me too.
A: And I'm going to bring some wine.
B: Oh, that's great!


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## Loob

Yes.


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## Kimaunz

Thank you.


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## Kimaunz

And I guess it's wrong to use "take" in place of "bring" in the above conversation in BrE. Am I right?


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## JulianStuart

Kimaunz said:


> And I guess it's wrong to use "take" in place of "bring" in the above conversation in BrE. Am I right?


Not for me.  Many examples of choices between bring and take are not 100% all one, so both can be "correct".  Especailly when the direction of the carrying is not from the place of the conversation but between two distant locations, and if it's a phone call, when the participants are at locations A and B while the carrying goes from C to D it's even less 
In addition, there are associations with the "Bring your own bottle" as a suggestion on many party invitations.


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## Language Hound

Kimaunz said:


> I'd like a response from a speaker of AE.


See post #10.*

Edit **now post #16* after thread merger


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## Kimaunz

Language Hound said:


> See post #10.


In the second sentence of Post #10, I guess now speakers of BrE use only "take" but speakers of AmE use both "take" and "bring".


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## Loob

Post 10* applies to BrE as well as AmE.

Edit *now 16 after thread merger


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## Kimaunz

Do you mean it's wrong to use "bring" in place of "take" in the second sentence of Post 10?


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## heypresto

Yes.


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## Kimaunz

I guess it's wrong in BrE, but I guess it's used in AmE.


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## Loob

Kimaunz, why are you so determined to find differences in this area between AmE and BrE?


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## heypresto

But post #10 was written by an AE speaker.


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## Kimaunz

heypresto said:


> But post #10 was written by an AE speaker.


But he didn't mention "bring" could be used in place of "take" too in AmE.


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## Kimaunz

Loob said:


> Kimaunz, why are you so determined to find differences in this area between AmE and BrE?


That's because I'm interested in knowing the usage of expressions.


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## Language Hound

Post #10 (highlighting mine):


Myridon said:


> *The usage taught in American English says that the choice depends on where the person is going relative to the speaker. *
> Boss calling you from the office: Please bring your umbrella to the office.
> Spouse sitting next to you at the breakfast table: Please take your umbrella to the office.


In the second example, most people would understand that the spouse speaking would not be going to the office with her/his spouse.
Therefore, "take your umbrella" is the correct choice.*
In the unlikely, but possible, event that both spouses were going to the office together, "bring your umbrella" would be the correct choice.*
(*Correct choice in AE)


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## Loob

Language Hound said:


> (*Correct choice in AE)


And in BrE. See my earlier post 1218.


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## Loob

Kimaunz said:


> That's because I'm interested in knowing the usage of expressions.


Well, I think you're on a hiding to nothing in this particular case.
Julian said earlier that


JulianStuart said:


> some AE speakers always use bring


That doesn't mean there's a general difference in this area between AmE and BrE.


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## Kimaunz

Language Hound said:


> Post #10 (highlighting mine):
> 
> In the second example, most people would understand that the spouse speaking would not be going to the office with her/his spouse.
> Therefore, "take your umbrella" is the correct choice.*
> In the unlikely, but possible, event that both spouses were going to the office together, "bring your umbrella" would be the correct choice.*
> (*Correct choice in AE)


Then in the following conversation, I guess only "take" is right in the blank. Am I correct?

Mom: Jack, time to leave for school now. 
Son:     Okay, mom. I'm leaving now.
Mom:   Looks like rain today. Don't forget to _____ your umbrella.


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## Language Hound

Yes.
If, as I understand from the son's reply, Jack is leaving for school without his mother.


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## Kimaunz

Okay. Thanks a lot.


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## Kimaunz

Loob said:


> Well, I think you're on a hiding to nothing in this particular case.
> Julian said earlier that
> 
> That doesn't mean there's a general difference in this area between AmE and BrE.


I brought it up because of Post 2.


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## Cagey

You may be interested in the following threads: 
​*take/bring/carry something with me*​*bring & take*​​

​


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## Kimaunz

Cagey said:


> You may be interested in the following threads:
> ​*take/bring/carry something with me*​*bring & take*​​
> 
> ​


Thank you.


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## Kimaunz

Which sentences below are correct?:

1. I bring my pen wherever I go.

2. I take my pen wherever I go.

3. I went to a store to buy some milk today and found I forgot to bring my wallet.

4. I went to a store to buy some milk today and found I forgot to take my wallet.

5. I went to a store to buy some milk today and found I forgot to bring my wallet when I went out of my flat.

6. I went to a store to buy some milk today and found I forgot to take my wallet when I went out of my flat.


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## Uncle Jack

In BrE
1. I bring my pen wherever I go. 
2. I take my pen wherever I go. 
3. I went to a store to buy some milk today and found I forgot to bring my wallet. 
You found it out at the store, so "bring" makes sense.​4. I went to a store to buy some milk today and found I forgot to take my wallet. 
However, "I went" can almost always use "take".​5. I went to a store to buy some milk today and found I forgot to bring my wallet when I went out of my flat. 
6. I went to a store to buy some milk today and found I forgot to take my wallet when I went out of my flat. 
Neither of these make much sense. I realise that you intend the when-clause to modify "bring"/"take", but it reads like it modifies "found".​


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## Kimaunz

Then I'd like to modify the sentences 5 and 6 as follows. Are sentences 5 and 6 correct?:

5. I went to a shop to buy some milk today. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my wallet when I went out of my flat.

6. I went to a shop to buy some milk today. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my wallet when I went out of my flat.


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## Kimaunz

Is the sentence 1 okay in AmE?


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## heypresto

Kimaunz said:


> Are sentences 5 and 6 correct?:



Here, 'take' makes sense. But " . . .  when I went out of my flat" is not idiomatic, and sounds odd. 

It would be far more natural to say ' . . . to take my wallet _with me_.'


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## Kimaunz

Then I'd like to change the sentences again and would like to know if the following sentences are correct:

7.I went to a shop to buy some milk today. Unfortunately, I found I forgot to bring my wallet when I got there.

8. I went to a shop to buy some milk today. Unfortunately, I found I forgot to take my wallet when I got there.


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## heypresto

So you are now describing the experience from the perspective of being in the shop, so 'bring' would work.

But more natural would be:  _Unfortunately, when I got there, I found I had forgotten to bring my wallet._


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## Kimaunz

But "when I got there" could mean a movement away to the shop and I wonder if Sentence 8 would work.


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## JulianStuart

Kimaunz said:


> But "when I got there" could mean a movement away to the shop and I wonder if Sentence 8 would work.


No.  When I got there can only mean the I am at the shop.


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## Kimaunz

Okay. Thank you.


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## Kimaunz

I'd like to know why the following sentence doesn't make sense:

I bring my pen wherever I go.


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## Kimaunz

I guess that's because of the verb "go". I guess "go" is associated with "take", and "bring" is associated with "come". Am I correct?


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## heypresto

Yes. This has been explained several times in this and other threads.


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## Kimaunz

Sorry, I wasn't able to read all the threads about "bring" and "take". Actually, I made up the sentences 1 and 2 last night and at that time it didn't occur to me "go" was associated with "take". Thanks for the answer, heypresto.


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## Kimaunz

A: I'm going to the party at Tom's house this Friday.
B: Me too.
A: And I'm going to bring some wine.
B: Oh, that's great!

My post #20 was about the conversation above and I knew "take" is also possible in place of "bring" in it. In the conversation, both A and B are going to the party, but if B is not going as in the following conversation, can you use both "bring" and "take" in the gap? My guess is only "take" is possible.

A:  I'm going to the party at Tom's house this Friday. Are you coming?

B: No, I'm not.

A: Okay. And I'm going to _______ some wine.

B:  Oh, that's great. They'd love it.


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## Uncle Jack

You have mentioned the place where the wine will be brought, so "bring" is possible. I would use "take", though, which is just the usual BrE preference with "go".


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## velisarius

I could easily use _bring_, since both friends are going to the same party. For me this is a case where _take_ and _bring _are both possible.

Edit:  I didn't notice that there were two scenarios. I agree with Loob, below.


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## Loob

Kimaunz said:


> A: I'm going to the party at Tom's house this Friday.
> B: Me too.
> A: And I'm going to bring some wine.
> B: Oh, that's great!
> 
> My post #20 was about the conversation above and I knew "take" is also possible in place of "bring" in it. In the conversation, both A and B are going to the party, but if B is not going as in the following conversation, can you use both "bring" and "take" in the gap? My guess is only "take" is possible.
> 
> A:  I'm going to the party at Tom's house this Friday. Are you coming?
> 
> B: No, I'm not.
> 
> A: Okay. And I'm going to _______ some wine.
> 
> B:  Oh, that's great. They'd love it.


In the first conversation, I would use _bring_, but _take, _as you say, is also possible.

In the second conversation, where the friend is not going to the party, I would use _take_.


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## Kimaunz

Okay. Thanks. I think I'll have to give some more thoughts about this.


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## abluter

" Sylvia's mother says Take your umbrella,
'Cos, Sylvie, it's starting to rain . . ."


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## Kimaunz

What's the difference in nuance between the following two sentences below?:

Will you bring her to the party?
Will you take her to the party?


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## heypresto

It's the same difference that we've discussed several times:

Will you *bring *her to the party?  _Here you are at the party, or at the place where the party will be held, and she will *come *to the party.. _
Will you *take *her to the party?    _Here you are somewhere else, and she will *go* to the party._


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## Kimaunz

Okay, I understand. But is it possible for a person who is not at Tom's house now to say to his friend on the phone "Will you bring her to the party at Tom's house?"?


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## Kimaunz

I think what I know for sure is the cases like the following. Other than those, I don't think I'm not so sure:

A: Can you bring me the book you borrowed from me a week ago?
B: Sure, no problem. I'll bring it to you tomorrow.

A: Where to?
B: Please take me to the airport.

Edit: I was mistaken. I don't think I'm so sure about other cases other than the ones above.


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## heypresto

Kimaunz said:


> But is it possible for a person who is not at Tom's house now to say to his friend on the phone "Will you bring her to the party at Tom's house?"?


No. 


Kimaunz said:


> A: Can you bring me the book you borrowed from me a week ago?
> B: Sure, no problem. I'll bring it to you tomorrow.







Kimaunz said:


> A: Where to?
> B: Please take me to the airport.


 I'm assuming A is a taxi driver.


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## Kimaunz

Okay. Thank you.


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## Kimaunz

Isn't it possible to say "Will you bring her to the party at Tom's house? I'm so busy with my work at my office now."? or "Will you bring her to the party at Tom's house? I'll be there too, but I can't. I'm so busy with my work at my office now."?


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## JulianStuart

Kimaunz said:


> Isn't it possible to say "Will you bring her to the party at Tom's house? I'm so busy with my work at my office now."? or "Will you bring her to the party at Tom's house? I'll be there too, but I can't. I'm so busy with my work at my office now."?


More AE speakers will use that form than BE speakers. As noted above, some AE speakers never use "take".


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## Kimaunz

JulianStuart said:


> More AE speakers will use that form than BE speakers. As noted above, some AE speakers never use "take".


Thank you. Then is the following conversation possible between speakers of AmE?:

Cab driver: Where to?
Passenger: Please bring me to the airport.


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## Kimaunz

If "go" is associated with "take", isn't only "take" right in BrE in the gap of the following sentence?:

I went to a store to buy some milk today and found I had forgotten to ______ my wallet.


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## heypresto

This has been answered already. See post #45.


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## Kimaunz

I saw Post #45 already. On Post 45, Uncle Jack says that both "bring" and "take" are possible, and I don't understand why "bring" is possible.


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## Uncle Jack

Kimaunz said:


> I saw Post #45 already. On Post 45, Uncle Jack says that both "bring" and "take" are possible, and I don't understand why "bring" is possible.


If you don't like "bring", don't use it.

"Bring" in BrE generally requires some sense of conveying something *to *a place or *for *some purpose. "Take" involves carrying something *from *somewhere. When you use "bring", the destination or purpose must be capable of being used as a reference point for the sentence, which is not possible in the taxi example in post #72.

"We're going on a picnic. Don't forget to bring sandwiches" is fine. The second sentence refers back to "a picnic". "Take" is also fine, and uses the person's home as the reference point, rather than the picnic.

In "I went to a store to buy some milk today and found I had forgotten to bring/take my wallet", the place where you found that you had forgotten your wallet was the store, so this provides the reference point for the second clause, meaning that "bring" is fine. Using "take" would put the perspective back to your leaving home to go to the store.


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## Kimaunz

Thank you so much for taking your time to explain all this, Uncle Jack.    
Now, I think perhaps the best way to get used to the usage of "bring" and "take" is to meet the sentences and expressions many times where these are used!


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## Kimaunz

Uncle Jack said:


> If you don't like "bring", don't use it.
> 
> "Bring" in BrE generally requires some sense of conveying something *to *a place or *for *some purpose. "Take" involves carrying something *from *somewhere. When you use "bring", the destination or purpose must be capable of being used as a reference point for the sentence, which is not possible in the taxi example in post #72.
> 
> "We're going on a picnic. Don't forget to bring sandwiches" is fine. The second sentence refers back to "a picnic". "Take" is also fine, and uses the person's home as the reference point, rather than the picnic.
> 
> In "I went to a store to buy some milk today and found I had forgotten to bring/take my wallet", the place where you found that you had forgotten your wallet was the store, so this provides the reference point for the second clause, meaning that "bring" is fine. Using "take" would put the perspective back to your leaving home to go to the store.


Then which one would you use in the gap of the following conversation? I guess speakers of BrE would use only "take" and speakers of AmE would use both "bring" and "take". My reasoning is that if A and B are going to be at the same place, both "bring" and "take" are possible, but if not, only "take" is possible in BrE:

A: Jack, it was quite embarrassing for me at the restaurant last night.

B: Why? What happened?

A: I didn't ______ my wallet to the restaurant.

B: It must have been. Were you able to pay?


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## heypresto

'Take' is more likely, but 'bring' sounds possible.



Kimaunz said:


> B: It must have been. Were you able to pay?


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## Kimaunz

Sorry, it means "It must have been. Were you able to pay after all?".


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## heypresto

Oh yes, sorry, I see it now.


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## Kimaunz

Then I guess the purpose of taking a wallet to the restaurant is to pay for a meal, and because the purpose is clear, you can use "bring" in the above conversation. Am I right?


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## JulianStuart

Kimaunz said:


> Then I guess the purpose of taking a wallet to the restaurant is to pay for a meal, and because the purpose is clear, you can use "bring" in the above conversation. Am I right?


Round we go again.  Some people would use bring (not me -unless I was at the restaurant again), others never use take.


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## heypresto

You can be thinking of the event from the perspective of *being at* the restaurant, and *bringing* the wallet, or of *going *to the restaurant and *taking *your wallet.

As I said, though, 'taking' sounds more likely here. 

I'm sure this has been explained several times already.


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## Uncle Jack

We probably wouldn't use either in the sentence in post #78. No journey is mentioned or even implied in the conversation, and the action takes place at the restaurant. Something like "I didn't have my wallet with me" would be better.

You could use "forget" (and probably most native speakers would use "forget"), and this changes things a little. You could say "I forgot my wallet", but I think most people (most BrE speakers, at any rate) would say "I had forgotten my wallet", because the forgetting took place at home, before the meal. This then introduces an implied journey, so "take"/"bring" now fit. Since the setting of the sentence is the restaurant, you really want to use "bring".


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## Kimaunz

Okay. I think I have enough answers now. I'll give it a think. Thank you so much.


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