In a continuum of last week's post, I decided to address "took vs. brought." This is another pair I've seen used incorrectly while reading.
Took
"Took" is the past tense form of "take," which means to transport or carry. "Took" is usually used to describe a moving away from something or someone. This is demonstrated in the sentences, "I took her home" and "She took his candy." The word "away" is implied within these sentences.
Brought
"Brought" is the past tense form of "bring," which means to take or go to a place. "Brought" is typically used to describe a carrying toward something or someone. This is demonstrated in the sentences, "Who brought her here?" and "He brought the dog inside the house earlier."
"Brought" mostly used when indicating an arrival or receipt, while "took" implies a departure or removal. The definitions of these words are similar, and these words are often used interchangeably. Writers should use discretion and determine which word sounds better and conveys what they are trying to say when using these words. For example, "He took me my charger" makes no sense, but if the sentence read, "He brought me my charger," it would then make perfect sense. Misuse of either could result in confusion for the reader. For example, "She took her sister upstairs" makes perfect sense until you realize the sentence was supposed to read, "She brought her sister upstairs." The first sentence indicates that the speaker was downstairs and watched the woman walk away, while the second sentence indicates the speaker was upstairs and the woman came toward him/her with the sister.
This being said, direction of travel is the determining factor in deciding which one should be used. If the action is creating space, "took" is your choice. However, if the action is closing a gap, "brought" is your better option.