Meaning trap
take out
invite someone and pay for them
To invite someone to go somewhere, such as a restaurant or event, and pay for them.
Don't mix these meanings
Same phrase, different job.
To invite someone to go somewhere, such as a restaurant or event, and pay for them.
Another meaning of 'take out' is 'remove something from a place'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- He took his parents out for dinner to celebrate their anniversary.relationships
- When I want to show appreciation, I like to take my friends out for coffee and a chat.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: take someone out (for something)
WrongI took out her for dinner.
RightI took her out for dinner.
With a person, the object goes in the middle: 'take her out'.
Patterntake someone out (for something)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Take someone out' is the natural way to say you'll treat them; the formal version is stilted.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
take out + treatfor dinnerfor a mealto celebrateon a date
Don't confuse it
Different from 'go out', which just means to leave home for fun, not necessarily paying for someone.
Related
- take out (remove something from a place) — Another meaning of 'take out' is 'remove something from a place'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.