What Does โBring sth before sbโ Mean?
โBring sth before sbโ means to present or introduce a matter, issue, or object to someone, often for consideration or judgment.
Introduction
The phrase โbring sth before sbโ is commonly used in formal and legal contexts to describe the act of presenting something to a person or group, usually for review or decision-making. The โsthโ stands for โsomething,โ and โsbโ means โsomebody.โ Understanding the โbring sth before sb meaningโ helps learners grasp how to express the idea of submitting or showing something to an authority or individual. This phrasal verb is useful in professional, academic, and everyday situations when discussing the act of formally presenting ideas, documents, or problems to someone else.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: bring something before somebody
- Type: transitive
- Level: B2
- Short meaning: to present or submit something to someone for consideration or decision
Structure (Grammar Rules)
The phrasal verb โbring sth before sbโ is separable, which means you can place the object (something) between โbringโ and โbeforeโ or after โbefore somebody.โ
- bring something before somebody
- bring before somebody something (less common but possible in formal contexts)
Example:
- They brought the case before the judge.
- The lawyer brought before the court new evidence.
How to Use โBring sth before sbโ?
Use โbring sth before sbโ when you want to describe the action of formally presenting an issue, document, or problem to a person or group who has the authority to make a decision or provide judgment. It is often used in legal, business, or official settings but can also apply to everyday situations where you show or submit something important for consideration.
Examples
- The lawyer brought the new evidence before the jury.
- The committee will bring the proposal before the board next week.
- She brought her complaint before the manager to seek a solution.
- The issue was brought before the council during the meeting.
- They brought the contract before the client for approval.
Using โbring sth before sb in a sentenceโ helps learners see how the phrase fits naturally in different contexts.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: Bring before me the report.
- Correct: Bring the report before me.
- Incorrect: She brought before the boss her ideas.
- Correct: She brought her ideas before the boss.
Remember, the object usually goes right after โbring.โ
Differences / Synonyms
- Present sth to sb: More general and informal than โbring before.โ
- Submit sth to sb: Often used in official or formal contexts, similar to โbring before.โ
- Take sth to sb: Less formal, means physically carrying something to a person.
While โbring sth before sbโ emphasizes formal presentation for judgment or decision, โpresentโ and โsubmitโ can be less formal or more general.
Common Collocations
- bring evidence before the court
- bring a case before a judge
- bring a proposal before a committee
- bring a complaint before management
- bring documents before a panel
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of bring sth before sb:
Real-life Dialogue
Anna: Did you bring the report before the board like we planned?
John: Yes, I brought it before them this morning during the meeting.
Anna: Great! Did they approve the new budget?
John: They asked a few questions but seemed satisfied overall.
Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of โbring sth before sbโ:
- They __________ the contract __________ the client yesterday.
- The lawyer __________ new evidence __________ the judge.
- She wants to __________ her concerns __________ the manager.
FAQs
- Q: Is โbring sth before sbโ formal or informal?
A: It is mostly used in formal or official contexts.
- Q: Can I use โbring sth before sbโ in everyday conversation?
A: Yes, but it is more common in professional or legal settings.
- Q: What does โsthโ and โsbโ mean?
A: โsthโ means โsomethingโ and โsbโ means โsomebody.โ
- Q: Can the object be placed after โbefore sbโ?
A: Yes, but it is less common and more formal.
- Q: What is a synonym for โbring sth before sbโ?
A: โPresent sth to sbโ or โsubmit sth to sbโ are close synonyms.
