Between Lend and Borrow

Common Errors In English With Samuel Alimi

One of the most commonly misused verbs in English is “borrow”. Interestingly, the differences between “lend” and “borrow” are quite simple, and it is high time we discussed them with relatable examples from the dictionaries, as usual. I have heard many speakers of the English language claim that understanding these verbs was quite challenging for them, especially because they had been using “borrow” for so long, while “lend” sounded so unusual to them.

Today’s lesson was inspired by one of the students who was overly concerned about the accurate usage. I thoroughly explained the distinction and ensured that he gained clarity to avoid errors in his expressions. I felt fulfilled knowing that he perfectly understood the topic after our informal interactive class.

According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, “borrow” is both a transitive and intransitive verb that means ‘to take and use something that belongs to somebody else, and return it to them at a later time’.

The following examples are extracted from the reference:

-Borrow something:
Can I borrow your umbrella?
How much do you have to borrow to pay for this?

-Borrow something from somebody/something:
Members can borrow up to ten books from the library at any one time.
She borrowed $20,000 from her parents.
The company had borrowed heavily from state-owned banks.
Borrow something off somebody (British English, informal)
I borrowed the tools I needed off my brother.
I had to borrow the money off a friend.
‘Lend’, which is a transitive verb, means “to give something to somebody or allow them to use something that belongs to you, which they have to return to you later”. In terms of a bank or financial institution, it means “to give money to somebody on the condition that they pay it back over a period of time and pay interest on it”.

-Lend something:
They will lend you equipment free of charge.
The bank lends money at very cheap rates.
-Lend something to somebody
I’ve lent the car to a friend
They refused to lend us money.

-Lend out something
The gallery has been willing to lend out works of art in the past.
-Lend out something to somebody
The charity lends out laptops to support learning at home.
Banks are less willing to lend in these uncertain times.
There are a large number of financial providers lending to businesses across the country.

-Lend somebody something
Can you lend me $10?
Can you lend me your car this evening?
Has he returned the book you lent him?
She very kindly lent me her bicycle.
The bank refused to lend the money to us.
For better understanding, your friends “borrow” money from you, but you ‘”lend” to them. This means that the verbs cannot be used interchangeably.

More examples:
Sam, can I borrow your friend. (borrow)
I lent my best friend my second phone. (lend)
Femi and Bisola borrowed my shirts for picnic. (borrow)
Segun asked, “Will you borrow me your shoes for the graduation ceremony?” (lend)

“Every day” and “Everyday”
Recently, a popular multinational telecommunication company in Nigeria sent a message that read,“Subscribe to …. everyday”. This error surprised me, as it should have been caught by their editorial committee,if they have one. The information they post online can serve as educational materials for English language learners.
The phrases “every day” and “everyday” hold different meanings. Therefore, using them together is grammatically incorrect. I hope that after today’s class, none of this readers of this weekly article will make this mistake.

Here are examples from the Cambridge Dictionary:
“Everyday” is an adjective used to describe something as “ordinary” or ‘”typical”. It is used to refer to things that are seen or used on a daily basis.
The everyday lives of ordinary Russian citizens…
Death was an everyday occurrence during the Civil War.
The movie is about the everyday lives of working mothers.
Every day on the other hands means “each day”.

Study the following sentences:
We go to school every day.
They discuss the benefit of eating good food in the nutrition class every day.

Assignment

Choose the correct answer to each of the following questions:
_______ crime is common in the world. (a) Every day (b) Everyday (c) Daily day
Does Chioma ______ money from her friend when she is broke? (a) borrow (b) lend (c) lent
_________ simply means each day. (a) Every day (b) Everyday (c) Every hour

Kindly forward your answers to samueltolulopealimi@gmail.com or send an SMS to 07049203179.

Names of those who answered the last questions correctly

Rasheed Fatiu, Shaibu Hamza, Olive Alimi, Shukurat Adekola, Bolanle Olusola, Eze Jeremiah, Jerry Solomon, Bala Aminat, Bello Sulaimon, Adaeze Beauty, Philip Moses, Jeremiah Isaiah, Edward Israel and Solomon Moses, Caroline Praise, Feyisayo Akorede, Adesina Sofiyat and Uchenna Eze