REMIND OR REMEMBER?

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REMIND AND REMEMBER

Over the years that I have been teaching English this is something that comes up (phrasal verb: surge) time and time again.

To be honest, I am not exactly sure why there is so much confusion about these words but in general many Spanish people use them incorrectly. For example: "This car remember me of my childhood". The correct version of this is: "This car reminds me of my childhood".

So, when do we use these terms and how do we use them correctly? The word "remind" is used in a context when you are thinking about an object or situation that brings back memories about the past: "This car reminds me of my childhood". It is also used when you want someone not to forget about something that is very important: "I remind you that you need to be here at 9am".

The word "remember" is purely about what you have memorised from the past: "I remember that when I went to university it was a very exciting experience".

Hope that helps!