borrow vs. lend

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Lend or borrow? Let’s learn how to use those words correctly.

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Warm-up 🗨️

Fill in the gaps with the phrases above and answer the questions.

What's the last thing you borrowed from a friend?

Have you ever regretted lending something to someone?

Do you ever borrow ingredients from neighbours when cooking?

Have you ever lent a piece of clothing to a friend for a special event?

Have you ever lent money to a friend in need?

Exercise 1

Take a look at the sentences below and answer the questions:

Jack lent his jacket to Katie. Katie borrowed her jacket from Jack.

- Which word means ‘give’? - Which word means ‘take’? - What’s the past tense of ‘lend’? - What’s the past tense of ‘borrow’? - Which preposition comes after ‘lend’? - Which preposition comes after ‘borrow’?

Theory

Exercise 2

Choose the correct word and watch the clips to check your answers.

1."There is a possibility that I won't make rent." "Monica, if you want, I can … (give) you some money.”

2."And then I have to go to the aquarium and tell Stumpy the good news." "Well, do you need a ride?" "I can drive now. I just need to … (take) a car." "I'll … (give) you the truck, but I'm gonna drive it.”

3."Before you go, can I … (take) some money? I’m getting some pretty serious vibes from Wendy over there, and I’d like to take her someplace special.”

4."This is Ben. He gave me his stethoscope." "… (gave) you his stethoscope.”

5."It's okay, I got it. You're Buffy, right? Can I … (take) that?”

6."Pheebs, what happened?" "Hummus. I got the hummus." "Monica, can Phoebe … (take) your green drees?”

Exercise 3

Fill in the gaps with ‘lend’ or ‘borrow’ to describe the pictures.

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Remember! Borrow from → take Lend to → give

Lisa is going to borrow/lend the book to John.

John is going to borrow/lend the book from Lisa.

Meg borrowed/lent the hat to her son.

The son borrowed/lent the hat from his mum.

Tom is borrowing/lending money to Jenny.

Jenny is borrowing/lending money from Tom.

Jason will borrow/lend a hammer from Rose.

Rose will borrow/lend a hammer to Jason.

Exercise 4 - Discuss 🗨️

Choose the correct word and answer the questions.

When you first moved into your own place, did you have to borrow/lend any household items from friends or family before you got fully settled?

Have you ever borrowed/lent money to a close friend? Did they give it back?

Have you ever borrowed/lent anybody's car? Were you afraid that you might damage it?

If a friend was travelling abroad and needed a place to store their belongings, would you borrow/lend them some space in your home?

Do you have any items in your home that you wouldn’t borrow/lend to anyone, even to close friends or family?

If you were hosting a big party and ran out of chairs or dishes, would you feel comfortable borrowing/lending from your neighbours?

When you were a student did you borrow/lend your notes to other students?

Have you ever had to borrow/lend a suit or dress for an unexpected formal event?

During family gatherings, do relatives often borrow/lend your cookbooks or ask for cooking tips?

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