(And 10 Common Mistakes with Direction Verbs)
Do you ‘borrow someone money’ or ‘lend money to someone’? Because both words describe the temporary transfer of an item or money, learners frequently mix up the direction of the action.
The Golden Rule: Give vs. Take (Follow the Direction)
| • Use LEND when you GIVE something temporarily. Direction: FROM you TO another person. Formula: LEND + [Item] + TO + [Person] (or: LEND + [Person] + [Item]) Example: I will lend my car to Sarah. / I will lend Sarah my car. |
| • Use BORROW when you TAKE/RECEIVE something temporarily. Direction: FROM another person TO you. Formula: BORROW + [Item] + FROM + [Person] Example: Sarah borrowed my car. / Can I borrow $10 from you? |
Quick Reference Comparison
| Feature | LEND | BORROW |
| Action Direction | GIVE temporarily (Outward ->) | TAKE/RECEIVE temporarily (Inward <-) |
| Required Preposition | Use TO (“Lend it to me”) | Use FROM (“Borrow it from me”) |
| Past Tense & Participle | Lend -> Lent -> Lent | Borrow -> Borrowed -> Borrowed (Regular) |
| Subject’s Role | Owner / Giver | User / Receiver |
| Polite Request Form | “Can you lend me…?” | “Can I borrow…?” |
The 10 Most Common Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
1. Using ‘Borrow’ with ‘To’
❌ Incorrect: Can you borrow this book to me?
✅ Correct: Can you lend this book to me? (Or: Can I borrow this book from you?)
2. Using ‘Lend’ with ‘From’
❌ Incorrect: I lent this pen from David.
✅ Correct: I borrowed this pen from David.
3. Confusing the Polite Request Subject
❌ Incorrect: Can you borrow me your jacket?
✅ Correct: Can you lend me your jacket? / Can I borrow your jacket?
4. Incorrect Past Tense Form of Lend
❌ Incorrect: Yesterday he lended me his umbrella.
✅ Correct: Yesterday he lent me his umbrella.
5. Swapping ‘Loan’ and ‘Borrow’
❌ Incorrect: I will loan a lawnmower from my neighbor.
✅ Correct: I will borrow a lawnmower from my neighbor.
6. Forgetting the Preposition ‘From’
❌ Incorrect: She borrowed money her brother.
✅ Correct: She borrowed money from her brother.
7. Using ‘Borrow’ for Gifting (Permanent)
❌ Incorrect: Borrow me $5 forever.
✅ Correct: Give me $5. (Borrow always implies returning the item)
8. Double Object Confusion with Borrow
❌ Incorrect: He borrowed me his computer.
✅ Correct: He lent me his computer.
9. Inverting Business / Bank Loans
❌ Incorrect: The bank borrowed money to the business.
✅ Correct: The bank lent money to the business. (The business borrowed from the bank)
10. Using ‘Rent’ instead of ‘Borrow’
❌ Incorrect: Can I rent your pencil for a second?
✅ Correct: Can I borrow your pencil for a second? (‘Rent’ implies paying money)
