Remind and remember
Remind and remember are often confused when talking about recalling information stored in the brain. Do you know how to use them correctly? See if you can complete the following sentences with the correct verb.
- Did you remind / remember to phone the bank, Greg?
- Remind / remember me tomorrow morning that we need to finish this conversation.
Remember is followed directly by the thing, the action, the place, the person etc. to be brought to mind. You CANNOT say, “I must remember me to lock the door.” You would have to say, “I must remember to lock the door.”
E.g. I remember your face, but I can’t remember your name.
In sentence one above, the correct answer would be, “Did you remember to phone the bank, Greg?”
Remind means “to cause to remember” and you always have to remind someone about something or to do something.
E.g. Could you remind me to call the doctor in the morning?
In sentence two above, the correct answer would be, “Remind me tomorrow morning that we need to finish this conversation.”
Here are some more examples to help you see the difference:
- Could you remind Carl to call the tax office tomorrow morning?
- I remember you! Didn’t we go to elementary school together?
- Should I remind you about the meeting, or will you remember?
So, what do you think? Will you be able to remember the difference between remind and remember? Or will we have to remind you in a few months’ time?