#59 - Can I borrow $10? 💵

D: Can I borrow $10 from you? L: Sure, I can lend you $10. D:  Thanks million! I’ll pay you back next week.

“Borrow” and “lend” are two verbs that English learners often find challenging.  Let’s practice those verbs today. Shall we start with “borrow”? In our short conversation at the beginning of this podcast Diana asked Latonya if she could borrow $10 from her. 

 When I ask if I can borrow $10 - or anything else – from you, the understanding is that I will give it back to you in the future.  “To give (something) back” is a phrasal verb that means to return something to its original owner.  A phrasal verb is a verb plus another word or words that together have a meaning separate from the original words. In “give back” give is the verb and back is the word that is added. And give back “ means to return something. We can also say “bring back”, “take back”  or, if it is money, “pay back”.

 Let’s return to “borrow”. If I borrow something from you, I plan to give it back or pay it back sometime in the future.  I often borrow  books from the library. I read the book, and then I return it – or take it back to the library. Sometimes I drop the book in a slot – a narrow opening – that says “returns”.

Notice that we said borrow from the library.  We borrow something from someone or, in our example, from the library. And the library lends books to us.  When the library lends books to us, they expect that we will return them or take them back within a certain time.

If you lend $10 to me, you expect that I will give you the $10 back sometime in the future. And maybe you hope that I will give you the $10 back soon right?

You can use “loan” in place of “lend “ and the meaning will not change. Notice that “loan” is also a noun. We use loan, for money that is borrowed. For example  “The bank loaned me $500. I need to pay the loan back in 1 year.” 

How do we use borrow and lend and loan in the past?

Well, borrow is a regular past tense verb… So we add an “ed” to make it past tense, right?

Yes, I can say “I borrowed a sweater from my sister yesterday.”Loan"is also a regular past tense verb.  “My daughter loaned her car to me last week.”

The past tense form of “lend” is irregular - “lent”. “My sister lent her sweater to me yesterday.”

Listen for the present and past forms of “lend” “loan” and “borrow” in the conversation between neighbors, Latonya and Diana.

D: Hi Latonya,  I need to rake up all those leaves in my yard. May I borrow a rake from you?

L: Sure, I have an extra rake. I can lend it to you.

D: Thanks, and after I rake the leaves, I need to mow the grass. Can I borrow your lawn mower?

L: Well, I’ll loan my lawn mower to you, but you need to bring it back tomorrow. I need to mow my lawn, too.  

D: No problem! I will return it this afternoon, I’m sorry to ask, but can I borrow a few gallons of gas from you too. I need it for the lawnmower.

L: I can’t lend any gas to you because I lent you my gas can last week and you didn’t bring it back.

D; Gosh! Now I remember that I borrowed your gas can last week, but it’s empty now. Can I borrow $10 to fill it up?

L: No! I’m not going to lend you $10 to fill up my gas can!  You need to give the gas can back to me today. And please fill it before you return it. 

Please email us at talcchats@gmail.org to tell us if you have borrowed or lent anything l

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