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Glite Dictionary
to take place

to take place

∞ 1.8
Happen, especially when something is planned or scheduled
  • phrasal verb
  • /teɪk pleɪs/
: tener lugar
  • Our first status conference with Harvard will take place next month in Boston.
  • events take place
  • meetings take place
  • activities take place

But when I was growing up, bullying took place at school.

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Examples

  • Junior training sessions will now take place on court six.

    Challengers (2024)

  • Library lessons were already taking place in classrooms, virtual communities, and the library.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Data collection for this study took place during February and March 2009.

    Academic text (2011)

  • But there are smaller events which take place involving both houses.

  • Active Learning and Coherence Department meetings take place in September, October, November, January, February, and May.

    Academic text (2011)

  • The debates take place in two main forums.

  • The formal breakup of the Soviet Union took place on 26 December 1991.

    Academic text (2011)

  • The International Jugglers Convention took place at SUNY Purchase, New York.

  • The school play will take place in the auditorium next Friday evening.

  • The conference will take place at the downtown hotel next week.

Synonyms

to happen
vsto take place
∞ 1.0

To take place, often by chance and without planning

is used when events result from planning or set schedules
to go on
vsto take place
∞ 1.3

Happen or be taking place

is used for events that result from planning or a schedule
to occur
vsto take place
770 2.0

Happen without being planned or expected

often implies planned or scheduled events rather than unexpected ones
to eventuate
vsto take place
  • Formal
1 9.1

To happen as a result of something

focuses on events caused by planning or scheduling rather than eventual consequence

How Planned

scheduled
2.1
planned
26 1.0
to take place
∞ 1.8
to occur
770 2.0
to happen
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

take place infinitive
taking place present participle
takes place third person singular
took place past
taken place past participle

Morphology

take + place

The meaning 'to happen/occur' is directly derivable from combining 'take' (in a sense of 'occupy' or 'happen in') with 'place' (location), i.e. an event 'takes place' in a location. This compositional logic is common cross-linguistically (e.g. Spanish 'tener lugar', French 'avoir lieu'), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will normally infer the idiom's meaning.

Etymology

Take place may come from the simple image of something taking a place, as if an event moves into a spot and fills it. So, when we say an event takes place, we mean it 'happens' or 'occurs'.