Students are often confused by words that are similar in meaning. In this issue, we explore three commonly confused verbs: Take, Bring and Fetch.

To take something usually has the connotation of taking away, i.e. from point A to point B. For instance, we might say, "My brother took the game away from my room."

To bring something has the connotation of bringing back, i.e. from point B to point A. Building on the previous example, students can write, "Later, when my brother was not around, I went into his room and brought the game back to mine."

To fetch something has the connotation of retrieving and returning to the point of origin, i.e. from point A to point B, then back to point A. For example, students can write, "My dog fetches the paper every morning." The sentence would then imply that the dog has to get to where the paper is and return with it.