Discussion Groups / English Usage / July 2009

Hello:

I wonder what's the exact meaning of "took out" in this context.

From the book, it doesn't seem Sillery is taking the students out in
the city or to any restaurants as such.

He seems to either:

- take them out of their element in the conversation, for
psychological and other "testing"

- make them reveal themselves

Possible?

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[Sillery is a don who organizes parties for students, and plays
influence on them]

Short had taken me to Sillery's two or three times before I found
myself -- almost against my own inclination -- dropping in there on
Sunday afternoon. At first I was disposed to look on Sillery merely as
a kind of glorified schoolmaster -- a more easygoing and amenable Le
Bas -- who took out the  boys in turn to explore their individual
characteristics to know better how to instruct them.

Anthony Powell, A Dance to the Music of Time: Spring, p. 117
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Thanks.
Marius Hancu