Phrasal verb
bring back
Definition
phrasal verb. to return something to its original place or to make you remember something from the past.
phrasal verb. to return an object to its source; also used figuratively to evoke memories or to reintroduce a previously discarded practice or law.
Examples
“Please bring back my book tomorrow.”
“Seeing those old photographs really brought back memories of our childhood holidays by the sea.”
“The local council is under pressure to bring back the traditional market days to revitalise the struggling town centre.”
Examples
simple
“Please bring back my book tomorrow.”
contextual
“Seeing those old photographs really brought back memories of our childhood holidays by the sea.”
complex
“The local council is under pressure to bring back the traditional market days to revitalise the struggling town centre.”
Usage
when used for memories, the object is usually 'memories' or a specific time period.
Teaching tip
distinguish between the physical sense (returning an object) and the psychological sense (recalling a memory); the latter is a very common collocation in English exams.
Pitfall
Bring back it to the shop.
Bring it back to the shop.
when the object is a pronoun like 'it', it must go between the verb and the particle.
Phrasal verb
Particles
back
Separability
optional
Pattern
bring + (object) + back
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related words
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/bring-back