Phrasal verb
Bring about
What does 'bring about' mean?
'Bring about' means to cause something to happen, especially a significant change or result. For example: The staff survey brought about useful changes to the timetable. Use 'brought about' for past results, place full noun phrases either side of 'about', and put pronouns such as 'it' between 'bring' and 'about'.
Key points
- 'Bring about' connects a cause with a significant result.
- The past form is 'brought about', never 'bringed about'.
- Full noun objects can follow or precede 'about'.
- Pronouns must come between 'bring' and 'about'.
Can you use "Bring about" yourself?
This lesson has 5 stages. You can stop at any time and continue later.
Stage 1 of 5
Understand
What it means, when to use it, and mistakes to avoid.
The full explanation
Bring about means to cause something to happen, particularly a change, improvement, reform, or problem.
The updated software brought about a noticeable drop in billing mistakes.
Why it works: Brought about functions as the irregular past tense, connecting the software update to the improved accuracy.
3 more examples
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Patient negotiations helped bring the dispute about to everyone's satisfaction.
The noun object the dispute sits between the verb bring and the particle about.
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When our office needed a better recycling system, energetic volunteers helped bring it about.
The pronoun object it sits strictly between bring and about.
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Investing in transit infrastructure will bring about lasting economic benefits.
Bring about introduces a future positive consequence with the noun phrase after about.
Read the full guide
Connecting an Action Directly to Its Result
When you describe an event that created a major shift, choose bring about to connect the initial cause with the final outcome. The subject of your sentence represents the reason or driving force, while the grammatical object names the resulting event, reform, or condition. You use this expression when you want to explain why a situation changed rather than describing physical movement. A clear cause must always precede the resulting change in logic.
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The new traffic signal brought about a sharp decrease in neighborhood accidents.
Why it works: The traffic signal is the cause, and the decrease in accidents is the resulting change.
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Consistent practice will bring about greater confidence during client interviews.
Why it works: Consistent practice drives the future outcome of increased confidence.
Your turn
Which sentence uses bring about correctly to connect a cause to an outcome?
Answer: The new bus route brought about shorter commute times for suburban workers.
Show the answer
Answer: The new bus route brought about shorter commute times for suburban workers.
Bring about means causing a change or result. Transporting physical parcels or lunches requires the simple movement verb bring.
Forming the Past Tense with Brought About
Because bring is an irregular English verb, its past tense and past participle form is brought. Many learners make the mistake of adding regular endings to form bringed, which is always incorrect. In spoken and written English, you say brought about to describe changes that finished in the past. Keep the pronunciation of brought smooth, using the open vowel sound without pronouncing any silent consonants. The past form never takes regular ed endings under any circumstances.
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The updated safety policy brought about fewer workplace injuries last quarter.
Why it works: Brought about shows that the policy produced safety results in a completed past time period.
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Recent leadership changes have brought about a much clearer communication style.
Why it works: Have brought about forms the present perfect to describe a past change with ongoing relevance.
This also comes up in Adverbs of reason: link cause and result and Touch a nerve.
Your turn
Which sentence demonstrates the correct past tense form?
Answer: The recent management review brought about several useful office guidelines.
Show the answer
Answer: The recent management review brought about several useful office guidelines.
Brought about is the only correct irregular past form of bring about.
Deciding Where to Place Full Noun Objects
Phrasal verbs with two parts often allow flexible word order when the direct object is a full noun phrase. With bring about, you can place a noun phrase directly after the particle about, or you can split the verb and insert the noun phrase between bring and about. Both arrangements are completely correct, although placing long or complex noun phrases after about sounds much more balanced. Shorter noun phrases fit comfortably in either position without altering meaning.
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The manager tried to bring about sensible revisions to the monthly roster.
Why it works: The long noun phrase sensible revisions to the monthly roster sits smoothly after about.
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The manager tried to bring sensible revisions about before the deadline.
Why it works: The noun phrase sits inside the phrasal verb, which works well when the phrase is concise.
Your turn
Which option shows an acceptable position for a full noun object?
Answer: Both after about and between bring and about are grammatically acceptable.
Show the answer
Answer: Both after about and between bring and about are grammatically acceptable.
Full noun phrases can appear either after the particle about or split between bring and about.
Locking Pronouns into the Middle Position
While full nouns can shift positions, personal pronouns follow a rigid grammatical rule. Whenever your object is a pronoun such as it, them, or this, you must place it between bring and about. Saying bring about it or brought about them sounds awkward and violates standard English syntax. The light, unstressed sound of a pronoun requires it to sit immediately after the base verb. A pronoun object must never sit outside after the particle.
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The committee recognized the need for reform and worked tirelessly to bring it about.
Why it works: The singular pronoun it sits firmly between the verb bring and the particle about.
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If these procedural updates improve patient care, our hospital will bring them about.
Why it works: The plural pronoun them belongs in the middle slot between bring and about.
Your turn
Which sentence follows the mandatory pronoun placement rule?
Answer: The city needed an affordable transport network and finally brought it about.
Show the answer
Answer: The city needed an affordable transport network and finally brought it about.
Unstressed pronouns like it must sit between the verb and the particle: brought it about.
Separating Causation from Physical Transport
Learners occasionally confuse bring about with the literal motion verb bring. When you use bring alone or pair it with prepositions like to or into, you describe carrying an object or person from one physical location to another. In contrast, bring about functions idiomatically to describe causation, and its object is almost always an abstract result such as a change, crisis, or improvement. You cannot bring about an apple, a briefcase, or a vehicle.
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Elena brought her laptop to the conference room for the morning presentation.
Why it works: Elena carried a physical device to a specific room, so plain bring with to is required.
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Elena's detailed financial analysis brought about a complete strategy rethink.
Why it works: The analysis caused an intellectual and operational change, making brought about the right choice.
Your turn
Why is 'The courier brought about the package to my apartment' incorrect?
Answer: Because delivering a physical package is movement, which uses simple bring rather than bring about.
Show the answer
Answer: Because delivering a physical package is movement, which uses simple bring rather than bring about.
Bring about means causing an outcome. Physical transportation uses bring without about.
Selecting Natural Collocations for Change
Native speakers regularly pair bring about with nouns that denote transformation, progress, or social shifts. Common partners include words like change, improvement, reform, collapse, peace, revolution, and downfall. Although bring about can introduce negative consequences like an economic crisis, it rarely pairs with trivial everyday actions. Using this verb with meaningful events signals that the resulting state represents a significant development. Pair bring about with substantial transitions rather than minor routine actions.
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International diplomacy brought about lasting peace across the border region.
Why it works: Peace represents a major historical condition that naturally collocates with brought about.
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Technological automation brought about a massive shift in manufacturing roles.
Why it works: Shift and transformation are high frequency partners for bring about in business writing.
Your turn
Which noun collocates most naturally with bring about in professional discussions?
Answer: A transformation
Show the answer
Answer: A transformation
Bring about naturally pairs with abstract nouns denoting substantial change, such as transformation.
Recognizing Linked Sounds in Spoken English
In natural speech, words rarely stand in isolation. When a speaker says bring about, the final velar nasal sound of bring connects smoothly into the initial vowel sound of about without an awkward pause. Furthermore, the first syllable of about carries very little stress, sounding like a brief schwa. If a vowel follows about, the final t often links directly to the next word or softens into a quick tap. Focus your listening ear on the stressed syllable bout to catch this phrase in rapid conversation.
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Good training will bring about an immediate rise in team productivity.
Why it works: Listen for the seamless link between the t in about and the vowel in an.
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We needed a sensible compromise, and honest discussion brought it about.
Why it works: Notice how brought, it, and about blend into a continuous acoustic unit in spoken English.
Your turn
What phonetic feature helps you identify bring about in rapid spoken English?
Answer: The stressed syllable bout links smoothly with the preceding verb and following vowels.
Show the answer
Answer: The stressed syllable bout links smoothly with the preceding verb and following vowels.
In connected speech, bring blends into the schwa of about, with primary stress landing on the syllable bout.
Applying Bring About in Professional Writing
In professional reports, cover letters, and formal summaries, bring about provides an articulate alternative to informal verbs like make happen or cause. It conveys intention, strategic effort, and clear agency. When drafting resume bullet points or quarterly project reports, you can highlight accomplishments by placing your initiatives as the subject and the positive outcome as the object. Using this phrasal verb demonstrates mature command of cause and effect structures in professional communication.
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Our cross department initiative brought about a fifteen percent reduction in processing delays.
Why it works: This sentence creates an impactful resume bullet point by highlighting measurable results.
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Careful inventory audits will bring about greater financial transparency for our investors.
Why it works: Bring about conveys professional credibility in formal corporate communication.
Your turn
Why is bring about preferred over 'made happen' in a quarterly business report?
Answer: Because bring about sounds more formal, precise, and professional in official documentation.
Show the answer
Answer: Because bring about sounds more formal, precise, and professional in official documentation.
Bring about carries an articulate, polished tone that suits executive summaries and official reports.
Common mistakes with "bring about"
What learners often say, what to say instead, and why.
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Not this:
The campaign bringed about useful reforms.Say: The campaign brought about useful reforms.
'Bring' has the irregular past form 'brought', not 'bringed'.
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Not this:
The committee brought about it.Say: The committee brought it about.
An unstressed pronoun must come between 'bring' and 'about'.
-
Not this:
The manager tried to bring about to sensible revisions.Say: The manager tried to bring sensible revisions about.
The full noun object can split the phrasal verb, but cannot follow 'about' with extra 'to'.
-
Not this:
The courier brought about the parcel.Say: The courier brought the parcel.
'Bring about' describes causation, not the physical transport of objects.
Use it naturally
How people really use “bring about”
Neutral Fine almost anywhere, at work or with friends.
Words it often goes with
- bring about a changeA new coach can bring about a change in the team's attitude.
- bring about an improvementMore practice can bring about an improvement in your speaking.
- bring about an increaseLower ticket prices could bring about an increase in visitors.
- bring about a dropBetter insulation can bring about a drop in heating costs.
What people also say
- “bring about a change” instead of “make a change happen” Use this to connect an action to the change it causes.
Questions about "Bring about"
What is the difference between bring about and cause?
Both expressions refer to making an event happen, but they carry different typical tones. Cause is a direct, neutral verb that often connects to negative consequences such as delays, damage, or disease. Bring about sounds slightly more formal and often describes deliberate actions, social reforms, or positive improvements that happen over time.
The harsh winter storm caused extensive road damage.
The citizen petition brought about meaningful safety reforms.
Can I say bring about it instead of bring it about?
No. In English, when a separable phrasal verb takes an unstressed personal pronoun such as it, them, or us, the pronoun must go between the verb and the particle. Placing it at the end sounds unnatural to native speakers. Always place the pronoun in the middle slot.
The council needed change and worked hard to bring it about.
If new tools improve speed, management will gladly bring them about.
Is bring about commonly used in the passive voice?
Yes, bring about is frequently used in passive constructions, especially in journalism, academic essays, and official reports. When using the passive voice, the result becomes the subject, followed by a form of be and brought about. An optional by-phrase can identify the underlying cause.
The sudden economic recovery was brought about by lower fuel taxes.
Substantial workplace improvements were brought about through open staff surveys.
How does bring about differ from bring up?
Bring about means to cause a result or make a major change take place. Bring up means to mention a topic during a conversation or meeting, or to raise a child until adulthood. These two phrasal verbs share the base verb bring, but their particles give them completely different meanings.
The director brought up the budget problem during morning coffee.
Her proposal brought about a twenty percent reduction in supply waste.
Before you go
Remember this
Use bring about when you want to show that an action or event caused a specific result. Place full noun phrases after about or in the middle, but always keep pronouns in the middle position.
Stage 2 of 5
Listen
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Listening 1 of 4
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0:00
- Patient negotiations helped bring the dispute about to everyone's satisfaction.
- When our office needed a better recycling system, energetic volunteers helped bring it about.
Read the transcript
Fresh ideas can bring about an unexpected improvement.
'Bring about' means to cause a result. Notice the smooth link between 'about' and 'an unexpected'.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listening 2 of 4
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
0:00
- Patient negotiations helped bring the dispute about to everyone's satisfaction.
- When our office needed a better recycling system, energetic volunteers helped bring it about.
Read the transcript
Careful discussions will bring about a stable agreement.
'Bring about' links the cause (careful discussions) to the result (a stable agreement).
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- In 'bring about,' listen for 'brin-gabout,' with the two words flowing together.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- In 'bring about,' listen for 'brin-gabout,' with the two words flowing together.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- In 'bring about,' listen for 'brin-gabout,' with the two words flowing together.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Try a longer clip. Listen once, then replay the part you missed.
Listening 3 of 4
Listen, then type what you hear. Replay as often as you need.
0:00
- Patient negotiations helped bring the dispute about to everyone's satisfaction.
- When our office needed a better recycling system, energetic volunteers helped bring it about.
Read the transcript
Strong customer feedback brought about an immediate upgrade across our software system. Our engineers redesigned every menu within one week.
'Brought about' is the irregular past tense form of 'bring about', showing a completed cause.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- In 'about an,' listen for 'abou-tan,' with the final t joining 'an.'
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- In 'about an,' listen for 'abou-tan,' with the final t joining 'an.'
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- In 'about an,' listen for 'abou-tan,' with the final t joining 'an.'
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
This clip is longer. Follow the instruction above the answer field.
Listening 4 of 4
Listen, then type the missing words. The rest of the text is already there.
0:00
- Patient negotiations helped bring the dispute about to everyone's satisfaction.
- When our office needed a better recycling system, energetic volunteers helped bring it about.
Read the transcript
Our clinic introduced an online booking app two months ago. That simple adjustment brought about an impressive gain in daily attendance. Patients schedule appointments without waiting on hold, while staff members finish paperwork without panic. When people ask how our team solved scheduling bottlenecks, we explain that teamwork helped bring it about.
'Brought about' describes causing the increase in attendance, while 'bring it about' demonstrates placing a pronoun between the verb and particle.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
Listen for
At natural speed these words change shape. Tap one to hear it again.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
- The last sound of the first word runs straight into the next word.
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Save my progressStage 3 of 5
Speak
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Say it along with the speaker
Fresh ideas can bring about an unexpected improvement.
Play the line slowly, then speak at the same time as the speaker. Copy the rhythm, not just the words.
Your turn
Say it your way
Speak for 30 to 60 seconds from memory. Imagine you went camping with your cousins and forgot the tent. Explain what problem this brought about, how you found a solution, and who helped make it happen.
Use: bring about brought about bring it about
Think for ten seconds, then answer out loud for as long as the task above asks, without looking at the lesson. Nothing is sent unless you ask for feedback.
0:00
Hear how someone else might say it
Last summer, I went camping with my cousins, but we left our tent at home. That mistake brought about a big change in our plans. We couldn't sleep outside because rain was coming. I thought the problem might bring about an argument, but everyone stayed calm. My cousin called a nearby farm and asked whether we could sleep in an empty building. The farmer agreed. We needed a quick solution, and that phone call helped bring it about. We stayed dry and had a funny story to tell afterward.
Try once more and answer this: How did your cousins react when they noticed the tent was missing?
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Put it in your own words
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