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wikiHow to Tell the Difference Between Borrow and Lend

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Mixing up the words "borrow" and "lend" can be a common confusion, easily cleared up with a quick read of this article.


  1. 1
    Use lend when you are giving money or items to someone.
  2. 2
    Use borrow when you are taking money or items from someone (or funds from a bank!).
  3. 3
    Try to use "lend me" in place of "loan me". The loan is the noun for the amount that you have borrowed and using it in the phrase "loan me" is not accurate, no matter how often you hear it!

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  • How can I explain the difference between borrowing and lending to others?
    wikiHow Contributor
    Borrowing means to ask for something and return it; lend means to give something and get it back.
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  • It is useful to keep a notebook of English grammar quirks to help you to learn them; revise frequently.

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Categories: English Vocabulary

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