From the Collins Dictionary's definition of take
If a person, vehicle, or path takes someone somewhere, they transport or lead them there.
or
If a person, vehicle, or path takes someone to somewhere, they transport or lead them there.
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Native speakers wouldn't normally say something like The car led us to our destination. Normally only something sentient, capable of intentionality can do things like that - but metaphorically, something like a path or road can lead [someone] somewhere simply by virtue of the fact that if you follow that route, you will end up at that destination. In your exact context, the presence or absence of the preposition to is optional, and has no real significance. But we'd always include it in The path led to his house, and never include it in He led her home.– FumbleFingersSep 25, 2018 at 14:20
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It is clear, and which one is correct? > someone to somewhere or > someone somewhere @FumbleFingers– LeonardoSep 25, 2018 at 14:32
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Are you taking a trip somewhere? Without to– Michael LoginSep 25, 2018 at 15:07
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I don't know exactly how to explain what syntactic principle is involved here. I think it might be that some is a kind of "determiner", which somehow (optionally) allows us not to bother with a preposition after to lead (or other verbs which can have a similar meaning, such as take). Thus in contexts likeHe took me [to] somewhere nice for a candlelit dinner it's entirely a stylistic choice whether to include to or not. But we can't do that if we particularise "somewhere nice" to a specific place - you must include it in, say, He took me to McDonald's.– FumbleFingersSep 25, 2018 at 16:41
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2 Answers
This is a good observation. Substitute a person or thing for someone and a location for somewhere, and the preposition would certainly be expected:
A ferry takes workers to and from the island.
The Alaska Highway takes you toward Beaver Creek.
She took the children into their house.
This is not, however, something special about take; rather, the trick is that somewhere is not used an indefinite pronoun here. Its most common usage is adverbial (e.g. MMD, Collins, MW), indicating moving to or being in or at some unspecified or unknown location. Try replacing somewhere with another adverb of place to make better sense of it:
A ferry takes workers offshore.
The Alaska Highway takes you eastward.
She took the children home.
Anywhere, elsewhere, everywhere, nowhere, and someplace (and anyplace and everyplace, which are less common and mostly found in North American English) are also primarily adverbs, although they can be used as pronouns.
Some prepositions can also act as adverbs of place, thus how you would classify it would depend on whether or not there is an object:
My boss is taking me around tomorrow.
My boss is taking me around the factory tomorrow.
'Somewhere' and 'someplace' are pronouns that are typically used adverbially, where the preposition can be assumed (causing many to simply call them adverbs).
"He went [to] somewhere." (adverb)
"He is [at] somewhere." (adverb)
"He came from somewhere." ('somewhere' is a pronoun, and 'from somewhere' is an adverbial phrase)
