Give and Receive; Lend and Borrow

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Give and Receive; Lend and Borrow

In this lesson, you can preserve source, item and recipient when changing viewpoint.

Created by , British English teacher.

I’m studying:

Try the activities, then check your answers.

Choose a short recording.

Before you start

Describe a book moving from one friend to another.

See one possible response

Eva lent Sam a book.

A book club keeps a simple record of books and equipment moving between members.

What you will practise
  • Preserve source, item and recipient when changing viewpoint.
  • Distinguish the lender from the borrower.
  • Ask for a loan and report its status without reversing roles.

Try each response before revealing a model. Equivalent grammatical answers are welcome when they preserve the task meaning.

Give and receive: two viewpoints

The giver sends or hands something; the receiver gets it. Name the source with from and the recipient with to when needed: I gave the notes to Jo. Jo received the notes from me. The same exchange can have different grammatical subjects.

I gave the schedule to Mei.

Mei received the schedule from me.

Rosa lends a phone charger to Denis, her hand extending it while he receives it, both attentive. A phone and plain cable pouch are the only other props.
Rosa lent her charger to me.Lend presents the temporary provider’s viewpoint.

Lend and borrow: temporary use

Lend describes providing something for temporary use. Borrow describes receiving it for temporary use. I lent my book to Karim becomes Karim borrowed my book from me. The past forms are lent and borrowed. The person who borrows is not normally the owner.

Rosa lent her charger to me.

I borrowed Rosa’s charger from her.

Keep the item and return clear

Lend often allows two objects: lend me a pen. In the standard target pattern, borrow takes the item, then from the source: borrow a pen from you. Returning the item is another event; a promise to return it is not proof that it has happened.

Could you lend me your ruler?

I borrowed it yesterday and will return it tomorrow.

A planned return is a separate future event

Past loan
yesterdayborrowed it

The borrowing is reported as past.

Future intention
tomorrowwill return it

The return is still planned.

I borrowed it yesterday and will return it tomorrow. A promise about tomorrow does not report a completed return.
The same transfer viewed with Denis as the receiver: he accepts Rosa’s charger from her and acknowledges the temporary loan, with Rosa holding the cable pouch. Do not reverse the transfer or show a gift.
I borrowed Rosa’s charger from her.Borrow presents the receiver’s viewpoint; the transfer direction is the same.

Guided practice

Say or write your answer first. Then compare the meaning and grammar with the model.

1. I gave the key to the caretaker. Start The caretaker received.

Compare a model and explanation

The caretaker received the key from me.

The recipient becomes subject; from names the giver.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

2. Nia lent Omar a book. Who temporarily received it?

Compare a model and explanation

Omar.

Nia is the lender and Omar the borrower.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

3. Can you borrow me a pen? Use the standard request to a lender.

Compare a model and explanation

Can you lend me a pen?

The person addressed provides the item.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

4. I borrowed the umbrella ___ Dan.

Compare a model and explanation

from

From introduces the source.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

5. She lends me her bike. Make it past.

Compare a model and explanation

She lent me her bike.

Lent is the past form.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

6. I borrowed Lee’s camera. Does this normally make it my camera permanently?

Compare a model and explanation

No.

Borrowing describes temporary use.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

7. A record says Borrowed Monday; return planned Friday. Has return already been established?

Compare a model and explanation

No.

A plan is not a completed return.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

8. Jules provided a projector to Asha for temporary use. Use lent and borrowed in two sentences.

Compare a model and explanation

Jules lent the projector to Asha. Asha borrowed it from Jules.

Both sentences preserve the same source, recipient and item.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

A short conversation

Listen to the exchange, then take one role. The speaker labels identify roles; do not narrate them.

Open the conversation transcript

Member: Could you lend me the club’s board game?

Librarian: Yes. Did you receive the rules I sent?

Member: I did. I also borrowed some counters from Tessa.

Librarian: Good. Please return the game next Thursday.

Listening checks

Listen to each extract, then choose the best answer. These three questions have their own score.

1. Who provided the atlas?
Read the listening transcript

I lent my atlas to Bea. She borrowed it for her class.

2. Who gave the keys?
Read the listening transcript

Tariq received the keys from Suki after lunch.

3. Has the speaker said the tent is already returned?
Read the listening transcript

I borrowed the tent yesterday. I’ve promised to return it on Sunday.

Answer key with explanations

  1. Who provided the atlas?

    The speaker.: I lent identifies the provider.

    Compare all choices
    • Bea’s class.: The class is the purpose, not the provider.
    • Bea.: Bea is the borrower.
    • The speaker.: I lent identifies the provider.

  2. Who gave the keys?

    Suki.: From Suki identifies the source.

    Compare all choices
    • Suki.: From Suki identifies the source.
    • Tariq.: Tariq is the receiver.
    • Nobody is named.: The source is explicitly named.

  3. Has the speaker said the tent is already returned?

    No.: A future promise does not establish completed return.

    Compare all choices
    • The tent was never borrowed.: The first sentence says it was.
    • No.: A future promise does not establish completed return.
    • Yes.: Borrowed and promised do not say returned.

Mastery quiz

Choose the best answer for each situation. The score is out of eight.

1. Lena lent Mark a pen. Who borrowed it?
2. Complete: I borrowed the book ___ my neighbour.
3. Choose a standard request to someone who has a ruler.
4. Change I gave the tickets to Noor to the receiver’s viewpoint.
5. Choose the ordinary past of lend.
6. What does borrowing normally involve?
7. Which sentence preserves the loan roles? Facts: I own the game; you use it temporarily.
8. I promised to return it Friday. What follows?
Answer key with explanations

  1. Lena lent Mark a pen. Who borrowed it?

    Mark.: The recipient of this loan is the borrower.

    Compare all choices
    • Both must have borrowed it from each other.: No reciprocal loan is stated.
    • Mark.: The recipient of this loan is the borrower.
    • Lena.: Lena provided it.

  2. Complete: I borrowed the book ___ my neighbour.

    from: From marks the source.

    Compare all choices
    • to: To would point towards a recipient, not this source.
    • at from: Two prepositions are incorrectly combined.
    • from: From marks the source.

  3. Choose a standard request to someone who has a ruler.

    Could you lend me your ruler?: The listener is asked to provide the item.

    Compare all choices
    • Could you lend me your ruler?: The listener is asked to provide the item.
    • Could you receive me your ruler?: Receive does not form this request.
    • Could you borrow me your ruler?: This is not the standard target lender-request pattern.

  4. Change I gave the tickets to Noor to the receiver’s viewpoint.

    Noor received the tickets from me.: The same source and recipient are preserved.

    Compare all choices
    • I received the tickets from Noor.: This reverses the exchange.
    • Noor received the tickets from me.: The same source and recipient are preserved.
    • Noor gave me the tickets.: This also reverses it.

  5. Choose the ordinary past of lend.

    lent: Lent is the past form.

    Compare all choices
    • lending: This is an -ing form, not a finite past form.
    • lended: This is not the standard form.
    • lent: Lent is the past form.

  6. What does borrowing normally involve?

    Temporary use of something from a source.: The loan relation distinguishes it from permanent acquisition.

    Compare all choices
    • Temporary use of something from a source.: The loan relation distinguishes it from permanent acquisition.
    • Automatic permanent ownership.: Borrowing does not normally transfer ownership permanently.
    • No recipient.: There is a borrower receiving use.

  7. Which sentence preserves the loan roles? Facts: I own the game; you use it temporarily.

    I lent you the game.: I is provider and you is temporary receiver.

    Compare all choices
    • You lent me your game.: This changes ownership and direction.
    • I lent you the game.: I is provider and you is temporary receiver.
    • I borrowed the game from you.: This reverses the source and borrower.

  8. I promised to return it Friday. What follows?

    A return is promised, but completion is not established.: The sentence reports a commitment.

    Compare all choices
    • It has definitely been returned already.: A promise is not fulfilment.
    • No return is planned.: The promise states one.
    • A return is promised, but completion is not established.: The sentence reports a commitment.

Use it in your own words

Two viewpoints

Describe a simple exchange using gave and received.

Reveal a possible response

I gave the notes to my classmate. She received them from me.

  • Preserve the same item
  • Reverse subject without reversing the event

Fictional exchanges are fine.

A clear loan request

Ask to borrow an object, then ask the same person to lend it.

Reveal a possible response

Could I borrow your charger? Could you lend it to me?

  • Change the actor correctly
  • Keep the object and recipient clear

Accept both lend me it where natural in a variety and neutral lend it to me.

Put it all together

Explain a club equipment record: who owns an item, who borrowed it, who lent it, and when return is planned.

Reveal a possible response

The tripod belongs to the club. Elif borrowed it from us yesterday. We lent it to her for a photo walk. She plans to return it tomorrow.

  • Track owner, lender and borrower
  • Keep temporary use clear
  • Do not turn a plan into a completed return

Use a different harmless item and people.

Take it with you

Choose the transfer verb from the intended participant’s viewpoint. Keep the source, recipient and item clear. A changed subject may require a changed verb or preposition.