🗓️ Idiom: Bring Something to the Table (verb)
💬 Meaning
- To contribute a skill, idea, or resource to a discussion or project.
- To offer something useful or valuable in a team or negotiation.
🧠 Example Sentences
- Every team member should bring something to the table during strategy meetings.
- She brings years of experience to the table that will help the project succeed.
- The new partner brought valuable contacts to the table.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom comes from the idea of placing something on a table where people are discussing or negotiating. It has been used in business and negotiation contexts since the mid-20th century to describe contributing something useful to a group or discussion.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
In negotiations, it is important to __________ something to the table.
Answer
bring
2. Multiple choice:
What does “bring something to the table” mean?
a) To contribute something valuable
b) To arrive at a meeting
c) To take items away from a discussion
Answer
a) To contribute something valuable
3. Change the sentence using bring something to the table:
She offered her expertise to help with the project.
Answer
She brought her expertise to the table to help with the project.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
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👉 Negotiation Idioms
👉 Business English Idioms List
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