The phrase "gather close" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when inviting a group of people to come together or to pay attention to something important.
Example: "As the storm approached, the teacher asked the students to gather close so she could explain the safety procedures."
Alternatives: "come together" or "draw near".
Would-be stargazers gather close to midnight in the storefront of the Earth & Sky company.
Friends gather close as Doris Day sings "Fools Rush In" over André Previn's piano, while they pick meat and swirl pasta, drink rosé and mop up sauce with crusty bread.
In the final section the women gather close, stamping, clapping and singing in a syncopated chorus of support as individuals moved into the center of the semicircle for ecstatic solos.
One or two birds from each group wave a piece of bark in the air, while the other birds in each group gather close together, rocking their bodies and calling.
She uses her all-terrain vehicle to take visitors to some of Solovki's most inaccessible regions to see Neolithic stone labyrinths and white beluga whales that gather close to shore in summer's midnight sun.
Although the remaining geese at the Biltmore Avenue beach do not gather close enough to the shore to cause a problem, Mr. Jacobs said, stormwater runoff this year has driven coliform levels beyond acceptable state levels.
Since it can be launched on short notice, ScanEagle's value is in allowing local commanders the ability to gather close-in, live and real-time images of an immediate target.
It was, as far as I could gather, closed indefinitely.
But relations between photographers can get strained, especially around watering holes where they gather closer together, Mr. Jeffrey and Mr. Krauss said.
According to the Seetohs, when Patricia's father was on his deathbed he whispered something that made his family gather closer, thinking that he had some final instructions or blessings to impart.
This would leave the EU with its present, unwieldy, decision-making apparatus and may set the stage for a split between countries that want to gather closer and the rest.For background see articleTo listen to a discussion of the news in the coming week click here.
