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Pedants' corner

Can 'bring it there' be correct?

17 replies

TigersEnglandChick · 17/03/2009 16:15

A few minutes ago DD called from the other room to say she wanted her juice.
I replied that I was coming in a minute and would 'bring it there' with me or she could come and get it herself if she wanted it sooner.

It doesn't sound right but I can't think how else you would say it ...

Any thoughts?

OP posts:
edam · 17/03/2009 16:29

You could say 'I'll bring it'. Or 'I'll bring it to you'. Bring it there just sounds a bit odd.

WowOoo · 17/03/2009 16:31

No, it's wrong.
Bring it here OK.
Take it there OK.

WowOoo · 17/03/2009 16:32

Bring it. OK!
OK?!!

TigersEnglandChick · 17/03/2009 16:33

You have both confirmed what I thought.
Is it grammatically wrong, or does it just sound wrong?

OP posts:
WowOoo · 17/03/2009 17:28

Gramatically incorrect. Hence it sounds wrong. I wish I could remember what on earth I said today. So wrong that I've wiped it from my memory!

MummyDoIt · 17/03/2009 17:34

Very common in Ireland, though. You would bring someone to the cinema, for example. Not that I'm Irish, I've just been reading a lot of Irish chick-lit recently!

WowOoo · 17/03/2009 17:37

Apologies to any Irish then!
I am Welsh and had a deep desire to say today 'Where by is it?' !!
'Where by is it to' is common in parts of Wales. I love hearing it when I'm visiting.

Habbibu · 17/03/2009 19:49

I can't quite see why it'd be grammatically incorrect, tbh, though I haven't thought it through. It's unusual, but not communicatively confusing. Will have to think about it some more.

onebatmother · 17/03/2009 19:51

bring implies 'from a farther place to a place closer to the speaker' I think.

Take, the opposite.

flowerybeanbag · 17/03/2009 19:53

I can't see why it's grammatically incorrect in the OP either. 'I am coming into the living room in a minute and I will bring it there'. You couldn't say 'I am coming into the living room in a minute and I will take it there' if you are talking to the person who is already there. You are bringing it to them. You could say I am going to the living room and will take it there, but surely if it's coming to the living room, it's 'bring'?

'I will bring it with me' would probably be more usual though.

Klaw · 17/03/2009 19:55

"bring it with me/to you" in context of your conversation

onebatmother · 17/03/2009 20:19

sorry mine was total balls.

Habbibu · 17/03/2009 20:36

I think I'd say, "I'll bring it over there to you" with no qualms, which is essentially the same thing.

And onebat - you take stuff away, don't you?

TigersEnglandChick · 17/03/2009 20:55

I think that it may be grammatically OK ... but it's not in general usuage which is why it sounds odd.
However, there could be something terribly wrong with it as a construction; I just know that it sounds wrong.

OP posts:
poppyknot · 17/03/2009 21:07

My German friend who has perfect English will sometimes say "I will bring it to ...." when I think that take might be what I would say.

I think that has something to do with the German bringen being bring AND take.

When she asks about English idiom I am sometimes stumped because some things sound not quite right and an explantion just leads to confusion.......

MaryMotherOfCheeses · 17/03/2009 21:09

Sounds very welsh.

Habbibu · 18/03/2009 09:03

Yes, I think it's an idiomatic, rather than grammatical issue - I don't see anything obviously wrong with it, it's just not an idiom in common use, though it may be in some regions.

"Wait while the lights change" is always an interesting one for seeing grammatical variation between regions.

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