Take turns means to do something one after another: first one person, then another. It is used about tasks people share: driving, washing up, presenting in a seminar. In British English, take it in turns is just as common.
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take turns + -ing; take turns to + verb; take turns with + person; take it in turns (UK)
- My flatmates and I take turns cleaning the kitchen, so nobody does it twice in a row.
- On the long drive to Edinburgh, my brother and I took turns behind the wheel.
- In our seminar, students take it in turns to present their research to the group.
What changed
First versionMy sister and I take turn walking the dog after work.
RevisionMy sister and I take turns walking the dog after work.
Turns is always plural here, because the turn passes from one person to another many times. The -s is easy to drop, and that is the only mistake here: the corrected version adds just this ending.
Take turns describes several people alternating. For one person's turn, say it's my turn: It's your turn to cook tonight. In turn means next in a chain of actions: I asked Tom, and he, in turn, asked his boss.
Your turn
There's only one bathroom in our flat, so every morning we ___ using it.
Show the answer
take turns — There is only one bathroom, so people use it one after another: take turns. Make turns would suggest turning, for example while driving, and does not fit here.
Describe a task you share with someone at home or at work. Name the person and the task you take turns doing.
My husband and I take turns to cook dinner, so each of us cooks three or four times a week.
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