FREE TRIAL

Come, Bring, Go and Take: How to Use Them

10,000+ pros coached•since 2007•4.9/5 rating•experienced native teachers•free trial, no credit card

Come, bring, go and take are four verbs of movement that learners mix up because their meanings are so close. The choice comes down to one thing: the direction of the movement, towards the speaker or away from the speaker.

This guide is for A2 to B1 learners who want to stop second-guessing these verbs. By the end you will know the simple rule that decides each one, how to use "come with" and "come from," the irregular past tenses, and the mistakes to avoid. Three exercises are on this page so you can practice straight away.

On this page

A quick video summary

The one rule: which way is the movement going?

All four verbs describe movement, and the only thing you need to decide is the direction in relation to the speaker. Two verbs point towards the speaker, and two point away.

DirectionFor peopleFor things you carry
Towards the speaker (here)comebring
Away from the speaker (there)gotake

Bring is to take as come is to go: bring and come move towards you, take and go move away.

Come or go?

Use come for movement towards the speaker or towards the person you are talking to. Use go for movement to a third place, away from both of you.

SentenceWhy
Are you coming to my house tonight?The listener moves towards the speaker.
Can I come to your house tonight?The speaker moves towards the listener.
I am going to the cinema.Movement to a third place, away from both.

Bring or take?

Bring and take follow the same logic, but for objects you carry. Use bring when something moves towards the speaker or listener, and take when it moves away.

SentenceWhy
Please bring me a glass of water.The water moves towards the speaker.
Don't forget to take your umbrella.The umbrella moves away with the listener.
When you visit, bring a friend.The friend arrives at the place you are talking about.

Both can be correct, depending on your point of view.

You can take your lunch to the office (away from home) or bring your lunch to the office (arriving at the office with it). The verb you choose shows where you are imagining yourself standing.

Come with and come from

Two very common expressions use "come":

  • come with means to join someone's movement: "I'm going to a party, would you like to come with me?"
  • come from means a place of origin: "I come from Dublin," "These oranges come from Spain."

The rule is simple, but using it without thinking is the hard part. Book a free trial lesson and practice come, bring, go and take with an experienced native teacher, no credit card needed.

Book my free trial

Irregular past tenses

All four verbs are irregular, so the exercises test your tenses too. Here are the forms to memorise.

BasePast simplePast participle
comecamecome
gowentgone
bringbroughtbrought
taketooktaken

Common mistakes with come, bring, go and take

  1. Using "go" when you mean "come." If you offer to join the listener, say "I'll come to your house," not "I'll go to your house."
  2. Using "take" when you mean "bring." If something moves towards you, use bring: "Please bring me the file," not "take me the file."
  3. Wrong past tense. The forms are came, went, brought and took. Not "comed," "goed," "bringed" or "taked."
  4. Forgetting "with" after come. To invite someone to join you, say "come with me," not just "come me."

Practice exercises on come, bring, go and take

Exercise 1. Complete the sentences with the correct verb, come or go. Watch the tense.

Exercise 2. Complete the sentences with the correct verb, bring or take. Watch the tense.

Exercise 3. Fill the gaps with come, go, bring or take.

Quick self-check

Choose the right verb, then reveal the answers.

1. Your friend is at her flat. You ask: "Can I ____ to your place tonight?"
2. You are leaving home for work: "I'll ____ my laptop with me."
3. What is the past tense of bring?

Show answers

1. come (movement towards the listener).   2. take (away from home).   3. brought.

How did that feel? Picking the right verb in an exercise is one thing. Saying it without pausing in a real conversation is the goal. In a free trial lesson, an experienced native teacher will have you using these verbs naturally within minutes.

Try a free trial lesson

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between come and go?
Come describes movement towards the speaker or the listener, while go describes movement to a third place, away from both. "Are you coming to my house?" moves towards the speaker; "I am going to the shops" moves away.
What is the difference between bring and take?
Bring and take work like come and go but for objects you carry. Use bring when something moves towards the speaker or listener, and take when it moves away. "Bring me a glass of water" moves towards you; "take your umbrella" moves away.
When do you use "come with"?
Use come with when someone joins your movement, for example "I'm going to a party, would you like to come with me?" Remember the word with: say "come with me," not "come me."
What does "come from" mean?
Come from expresses a place of origin. "I come from Dublin" means Dublin is where you are from, and "These oranges come from Spain" means Spain is where they were grown.
What are the past tenses of come, go, bring and take?
They are all irregular. Come becomes came (past participle come), go becomes went (gone), bring becomes brought (brought), and take becomes took (taken).

Key takeaways

  • The choice depends on the direction of movement, towards or away from the speaker.
  • Towards you: come (people), bring (things). Away from you: go (people), take (things).
  • Come with means to join someone's movement; come from means origin.
  • The past tenses are came, went, brought and took.
  • Both bring and take can be correct, depending on where you imagine yourself.

Keep learning

Written and reviewed by the experienced native English teachers at Live English, online since 2007.