A recent article that featured in Language Tips titled “Marriages improve after children fly the coop, according to research” contained an expression that left several readers troubled.

Here is the sentence, “Psychologist Sara Gorchoff, who carried out the investigation, said: "The take-home message for couples with young children is 'hang in there'."

Essentially, when we talk about the “take home message” we are referring to the most important thing mentioned that readers or listeners should remember.

For example, if I had just given a one hour presentation to a group of students at the end I would usually conclude my talk and repeat one or two key points that I felt were of most use or value to them to remember. This would be the take home message.

Another way to say this is, if there is anything you are going to remember from this it is this “bla bla bla” and that “bla bla bla” is your take home message.

Seeing as it is the week where we will be getting a new US President let’s imagine Obama is talking to an audience of Detroit car workers and trying to convince them that new electric vehicles are the future.

After speaking for 30 minutes Obama then decides to finish his talk by saying, “So people I want you to know that I am fully supportive of your industry and will do my best to save your jobs. But the most important thing to remember is this, the cars of today and tomorrow can no longer be run on gas, we want hybrid electric models and that is what America must be manufacturing.”

The “take home message” here is US car manufacturers must change and Obama will support this change.

Now remember next time you go to a class or to a meeting or you listen to a lecture or watch a Hollywood film, ask yourself, what was the take home message?

About the author:

Brendan has taught at universities, high schools and primary schools in Japan,the UK, Australia and China. He is a Qualified Education Agent Counsellor and has extensive experience with International English Language Examinations. In the field of writing Brendan has been published in The Bangkok Post, The Taipei Times, Inflight magazines and the Asia News Network. He can be contacted at brendanjohnworrell@hotmail.com.