Mistaken Words Last and Take

Mistaken Words Last and Take

Hi English learners. Welcome to a new lesson. Have you ever wondered whether to say that something lasts or takes a long time? Well, you don’t have to think about it any more, because in today’s lesson, we will discuss the mistaken words last and take so you know when to use which one.

LAST

We normally use last to say that something continues to happen or exist.

• The bad weather won’t last long.
• Films usually last for 90 minutes.
• How long did the meeting last?

Mistaken words last and take

Last usually goes with the propositions for and until.

• This car is supposed to last for 50 years.
• They had enough food to last for a week.
• The university course lasts for three months.
• Will the money we have last until the end of the holiday?
• They say snow won’t last until morning.
• Can you last here until the doctor arrives?

TAKE

Take is one of the most frequently used verbs which produces many idiomatic expressions, collocations, etc. In that sense, it is widely used.

Take meaning to move or carry something:

• I’ll take an umbrella, it’s raining outside.
• The tourist guide will take us on a tour around the city.
• Brian took a  dog for a walk.
• I’m taking my computer for repair after work.

Take is also used in numerous collocations:

• Amanda has always wanted to be taken seriously as an actress.
• No one should take people for granted.
• It’s not allowed to take photos in the museum.
• We usually take a bus to school.
• Will you take care of the baby while I’m out?
• Please, take a seat.

We use take to say how long time you need to get somewhere or to do something.

• My commute takes half an hour.
• It takes 15 minutes to prepare a meal after this recipe.
• It takes time to learn a language.

LAST vs TAKE

We use both take and last to talk about the amount of time is needed for something, so how do we know when to use which verb? We use take when we are in control over a situation (we are actively involved) and last when we are not and the duration of something does not depend on us.

• It takes me an hour to get to your place (I’m the driver, I’m in control.)
• The TV series lasts for about 30 minutes. (we don’t have any control over it)

Mistaken words last and take

Here are more example sentences:

• It’ll take them a while until they get used to the climate.
• It takes an hour to get to the sea coast.
• The flight to New York takes 7 hours.
• The lecture lasted for two hours.
• The celebration lasted for two days.
• The meeting didn’t last long.

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