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Difference between task & activity

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Michael Shanklin, MBA PMP CSSGB ACP PSM Director of Business Development| Energy Economics Inc Durham, Nc, United States
I see project managers (and even most blogs) use words like activity and task differently. Some believe that activities are born from tasks, some consider tasks work packages, some use the words interchangeably.... so what's the real story?

What are tasks? ...and what are activities? ...and how do they relate?
Thanks!
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Vincent Guerard Coach - Trainer - Speaker - Advisor| Freelance Mont-Royal, Quebec, Canada
Deliverable is one or more activity’s
Activity is one or more task

That is the way I see it
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hesham zwawa FLOWING ENGINER| man made river project Libya
an activity is contain of many tasks
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Stéphane Parent Self Employed / Semi-retired| Leader Maker Prince Edward Island, Canada
I grew up, as a project manager, on the word "task" - thank you, Microsoft and Corel! -but have switched to PMBOK's "activity" since 2002, when I started on the road to my PMP.
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Najam Mumtaz Retired Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Activity is a task or tasks carried out to create a deliverable, meaning task is a subset of activity.
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Maurice Ogeta Dr Tanzania, United Republic Of
In engineering, we consider "design" as one of the major "tasks" engineers engage in in their day-to-day life. Each "design task" is accomplished through execution of a number of activities, namely: specification of requirements, generation & evaluation of alternative solutions, and detailing & implementation of final best alternative. In this sense, a "task" is a collection of "activities".
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Engdaw Admasu Construction Project Manager| Water Works Corporation (WWC) Kombolcha Town, Ethiopia
I am searching on google about the difference task vs activity, task vs work package.
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Omer Ahmed Lead Cost Control Engineer| Petroserv limited Doha, Doha, Qatar
Task is a collection of work packages and work package is a collection of activities. For example Electrical works in a building is a Task, lighting works is a work package in the task (Electrical works) and lights fixing is an activity in the work package (lighting works).
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Tamer Zeyad Sadiq Assistant Cost Manager| Turner & Townsend Riyadh, Ar Riyad, Saudi Arabia
Almost task is activity as I saw when I practiced PMP exam!!!!
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Anton Oosthuizen Senior Business Analyst / Project Manager| Self Employed Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Agree with Andrew. You perform a task, or a series of tasks during a specific activity. Jogging is the activity. Getting dressed, drinking, eating etc. are tasks that you perform to complete the activity.
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Michael Barksdale Supervisory Program Analyst| US Defense Department Orlando, Va, United States
I am looking for an industry break-down structure that shows the relationship between tasks and activities. Does one exist?
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