Bring and take

[alicambs]

Is anyone else beginning to wonder if the words 'take' and taken' have got lost somewhere in the ether? I am reading the word 'bring' and brought' used when I expect to read 'take' and 'taken'. I recall my son saying "I'll bring that to Uni" and I said quite defintely (being the pedantic mum I am), "No, love, you'll take it to Uni but you could ask

Comments

[ariss_tenoh]

I don't think it's you growing older^^ Young people are constantly using words with their own definitions, often to odd degrees and meanings. I work as a translator and this problem gives me a headache on a daily basis.

[alicambs]

I can imagine it does!
Do you think they're just not being taught grammar or don't care? There is a difference between bring and take and it does annoy me seeing and hearing it abused so regularly

[ariss_tenoh]

Both, I imagine. Children and teens these days have an ever shortening attention span due to all the tech/gadgets they use to browse social media, and schools (at least in my country) emphasize "creativity" over proper grammar. I'm not sure what's creative about not being able to use proper English. *rolls eyes*

[byslantedlight]

Oh gawd, I know... I've not especially noticed that one, but I probably don't have those kinds of conversations much at the moment... *g* There's so many other kinds of changes that I want to bash my head against things though. Academic writers starting sentences with "Besides..." in formal writing is one of my bugbears, meaning "In addition" or even "As well as"... For chatting, yes, but not formal writing - until the day I give in and stop correcting it cos I've seen it too often in other academic journal articles

[alicambs]

I'm rather glad I don't have your job! My red pen would be exhausted. :-)

[haldoor]

oh, this one gets me too! I think it's an Americanism (God knows when it started) as I hear it on American TV shows all the time and it drives me nuts! I refuse to bring things when I'm taking them, and I'm so with you on the corrections! (did that even make sense?) The other one done a lot now is 'Do you want to come with?' or '...bring it with?'. Hubby and I both think that the dropping of the 'me' or 'you' (on the latter question sometimes) is just weird, but it's on American TV all the time now. *shakes head woefully*

In other news, thank you for your lovely Christmas card! I love it! Yours will be on its way soon! ;-)

[alicambs]

Damn those Americanisms! :-) Glad I'm not the only one though, I was beginning to wonder if it was me, but that was what I was taught and it infuriates me to see English so badly written and spoken. People can twitter on about pedantry all they like, but if you don't have an understood and acceptable grammar, language can start to become very unwieldy after a time.

Glad you liked the card.