have/take a bath

[Harshavardhana]

Hi,

I am very confused about which is the correct sentences below.

1) have a bath
2) take a bath

plz help me !!!

 

[PROESL]

Hi,

I am very confused about which is the correct sentences below.

1) have a bath
2) take a bath

plz help me !!!

We usually say "take a bath". Use that one, and you can never go wrong. While "have a bath" is possible, I believe that "take a bath" is more common, typical, and usual.

;-)

 

[anupumh]

We usually say "take a bath". Use that one, and you can never go wrong. While "have a bath" is possible, I believe that "take a bath" is more common, typical, and usual.

;-)

Hi Steve,

Is the indefinate article "a" necessary before bath?
Will "go and take bath" be incorrect?

Thanks

 

[bhaisahab]

Hi Steve,

Is the indefinate article "a" necessary before bath?
Will "go and take bath" be incorrect?

Thanks

"Have a bath" is BrE and contrary to popular belief on this site recently, BrE is not dead. Yes, "go and take/have bath is incorrect.

 

[Kahlispo]

In French the idiom would be :

Je prends un bain ->> I take a bath.


In English this shouldn't work as we don't take possesion of the bath. We use it.

I'd say have a bath.

"You're dirty, go and have a bath."


Sorry new to this forum - what does BrE mean? Not yet used to the lingo...

 

[PROESL]

Hi Steve,

Is the indefinate article "a" necessary before bath?
Will "go and take bath" be incorrect?

Thanks

The article is necessary. It would sound odd to leave out "a" in "take a bath".

 

[anupumh]

In French the idiom would be :

Je prends un bain ->> I take a bath.


In English this shouldn't work as we don't take possesion of the bath. We use it.

I'd say have a bath.

"You're dirty, go and have a bath."


Sorry new to this forum - what does BrE mean? Not yet used to the lingo...

BrE = British English

So you say, take a bath is incorrect/not used?

 

[PROESL]

Sorry new to this forum - what does BrE mean? Not yet used to the lingo...

BrE - This means "British English".

AmE - This means "American English".

AuE - I haven't seen it, but I suppose this could "Australian English".

And the list goes on:

CnE - Canadian English

IrE - Irish English

NzE - New Zealand English

 

[Kahlispo]

BrE = British English

So you say, take a bath is incorrect/not used?

If you're asking from the sense that - Am I being marked by an overly zealous teacher with a pendant for flailing test papers with a red pen then I'd say it's 'incorrect'.
From a fluency point of view its understandable and I've certainly hear native english speakers saying 'gonna go and take a shower' in a colloquiol sense its usable and certainly won"t leave people scratching their heads with their mouths making 'O' shapes.

 

[Ann1977]

BrE = British English

So you say, take a bath is incorrect/not used?

No. I think he said that dropping the article is incorrect.

In the US, the expression is "take a bath" for all possible uses.

On occasion, you could possibly hear "take her bath" -- especially if there has been some prior reference to her taking a bath.

The same goes for "take a shower" -- but "take a steam" is considered a regionalism (New York City, under the influence of Yiddish, I believe.) This may account for the Hollywood locution "take a meeting."

I would not particularly react to "have a bath" however, and I might say it in certain contexts:
- The dog hasn't had a bath since his encounter with a skunk.
- I haven't had my bath yet today.

I think "having a bath" suggests the agency of some other person, while "taking a bath" suggests one's own actions.
- The infant was too sickly to have a real bath, so her mother cleaned her with baby wipes.
- Cats hate to have a bath. (Cats may have a bath, but they never take a bath.)

 

[PROESL]

I think "having a bath" suggests the agency of some other person, while "taking a bath" suggests one's own actions.

That's a good point. It's a good way to distinguish between the two. I'd like to see a dog decide to take a bath. :roll: :shock: It wouldn't happen, would it? No, I don't think so.

And, yes, I did say the article is necessary. It's incorrect without the article.

take a bath
have a bath

We would not say "have a shower", however. Or maybe that's okay in BrE. I don't know.

 

[Ann1977]

That's a good point. It's a good way to distinguish between the two. I'd like to see a dog decide to take a bath. :roll: :shock: It wouldn't happen, would it? No, I don't think so.

And, yes, I did say the article is necessary. It's incorrect without the article.

take a bath
have a bath

We would not say "have a shower", however. Or maybe that's okay in BrE. I don't know.

Right. "The dog took a bath" can happen only in the funnies!

 

[PROESL]

Right. "The dog took a bath" can happen only in the funnies!

With good training, it could happen in real life. Would you say so? What about a parallel universe? It's possible.

 

[Ann1977]

With good training, it could happen in real life. Would you say so? What about a parallel universe? It's possible.

Well, why not, right? It could happen.

After all, pigs take baths...

 

[PROESL]

Well, why not, right? It could happen.

After all, pigs take baths...

That must be a picture from the future during the days when pigs will have wings.

 

[Ann1977]

That must be a picture from the future during the days when pigs will have wings.

Oh, that's just you being silly!

A picture from the future, indeed! As though there could be such a thing.

You're just being funny :lol:



You know perfectly well that it's a picture from an alternate universe.

 

[PROESL]

Oh, that's just you being silly!

A picture from the future, indeed! As though there could be such a thing.

You're just being funny :lol:



You know perfectly well that it's a picture from an alternate universe.

No, I recognize that pig. It's Future Pig. That pig is from this universe.

 

[Ann1977]

No, I recognize that pig. It's Future Pig. That pig is from this universe.

LMAO!

You recognize the pig?

He's a well-known future tense pig whose universe is public knowledge?

And how can you be sure it's Future Pig when he's without his cape?



(suspiciously) I think you're messing with me.

 

[stuartnz]

AuE - I haven't seen it, but I suppose this could "Australian English".


NzE - New Zealand English

I see "AusE" quite often and am more used to seing my native variant being labelled NZE. Although personally I prefer "Strine" and "Zild", respectively.