have - take

Have and take are both commonly used with nouns as their objects to indicate that someone performs an action or takes part in an activity. With some nouns, you can use either have or take with the same meaning. For example, you can say `Have a look at this' or `Take a look at this'. Similarly, you can say `We have our holidays in August' or `We take our holidays in August'.

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There is often a difference between British and American usage. For example, British speakers usually say `He had a bath', while American speakers say `He took a bath'.

I'm going to have a bath.

I took a bath, my second that day.

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When talking about activities such as walking and swimming, American speakers often use take. For example, they say `He took a walk' or `She took a swim'. British speakers sometimes use have, but it is much more common in British English to say `He went for a walk' or `She went for a swim'.

Brody decided to take a walk.

I went down to the ocean and took a swim.

After dinner we went for a walk.

She's going for a swim.

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◊ meals

In modern English, you use have to say that someone eats a meal.

He has his meals at home.

We might have dinner together.

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In the past, take was sometimes used instead of `have', but this use now sounds very formal.

I always took my meals at White's.

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For more information about verbs used in connection with meals, see entry at ↑ Meals.

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