Real Grammar - Susan Conrad, Douglas Biber 2009

Meanings of Take + Noun Phrase
Unit 7 Let’s take a look at it

What have you already learned from your grammar textbook?

Take is an irregular verb (take - took - taken). The literal meaning of take is “to move or carry something from one place to another”:

• I took the cake out of the oven.

What does the corpus show?

A

Take is an extremely common verb in both conversation and writing because it has many different meanings and uses. Take + noun phrase is a common structure. But its literal meaning “to move or carry something from one place of the other” is rare.

• You should take the garage door opener so you can get in.

B

In conversation, several nouns are especially common with take. These combinations express many different idiomatic meanings:

* ln some expressions a preposition like at, of, or for follows the noun phrase.

C

In writing, other nouns are common with take. These nouns often occur with a specific preposition and have special meanings:

Activities

1 Notice in context: Read the conversation and the sentences from academic writing. Circle each instance of take and underline the noun phrase that follows. If there is a preposition, underline it too.

1. Conversation: In an office.

Receptionist: (on the phone) Um, no he’s not. May I take a message?... Okay, how do you spell your name?... Okay. Sure. Bye bye.

Visitor: Hi. I’m here to see Mary.

Receptionist: Okay, Mary’s office, I don’t even know if she’s here, but go down through the hall and then take a left, and it’s the second door on the right.

Visitor: Thank you.

2. Academic writing: About long-term medical care for children.

a. The worker was committed to the idea that treatment of a medical or disabling condition should not take precedence over the child’s social, emotional, and cultural needs.

b. Many children will require day-to-day support as well as encouragement that takes into account both their social backgrounds and their specific medical condition.

c. It is a good practice to pay attention to the child’s attitude during treatment to try to pinpoint the cause of any negative feelings and to take steps to remedy the situation.

2 Practice conversation: you and a friend are training to become lifeguards at a local pool. Your friend has been on vacation, and you need to tell him what he has missed. Use take + noun phrase to make these lines sound more like informal conversation. When you are finished, say these more informal lines to a partner.

1. Maria completed a course on first aid.

Maria took a course on first aid.

2. The course was only two days long.

3. We need to learn how to fix problems.

4. I examined our summer training schedule.

5. Our next session will be held across town.

6. We can use the bus to get there.

3 Practice writing: Summarize the following situations using take + noun phrase. Make sure you use the correct form of the verb.

1. Juan wants to spend more time at home with his family than at his job, because family is what is most important to him.

Summary: Juan’s family ... over his job.

2. Georgia got a head start and prepared the materials she and her group would need to start on their new physics project.

Summary: Georgia ... on the physics project.

3. The committee voted to require all students to wear uniforms last November, but the new policy did not consider the cost of uniforms.

Summary: The new policy did not ... the cost of uniforms.

4. Lauren argued that because she had worked hard for the company for the past year, she deserved a pay raise.

Summary: Lauren ... that she deserved a raise.