student asking question

I think "carry" alone still makes sense. What's the difference when "carry out" is used?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Ah! So the difference here is movement and clear direction. One can "carry" something but not have any clear movement or direction, so "carry out" or "carry away" implies that something was carried somewhere. Ex: I'll carry your bag for you. => support the weight wherever Ex: Can you carry these boxes out? => specifies where the boxes go Ex: The river carries the boats away if they're not tied up. => in an outward direction, away from the person or thing

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