Do you lend books to people? Do you borrow books from people? Can you rent books to people? What is the difference? 

There are many common English words that are confusing to English learners. These are words that share forms or meanings. Today, we will take a look at borrow, lend, and rent. 

Borrow

When you borrow something, you take it for a short time. You are going to give it back. Usually, you do not have to pay to borrow something. 

He will borrow money from the bank.
Linda borrows books from the library. 
Can I borrow your pen?

Lend

When you lend something, you give it to a person for a short time. You expect to get that thing back.

Banks lend money to people.
Libraries lend books to people.

Can you lend me your pen? 

Lend is an irregular verb. The past tense of lend is lent. 

Rent

When you rent something, you pay money to use it for a short time.

Connor rents a room near the university. 
We will rent a house in Ibiza for the summer.
Let's rent a car and drive to the South of France.

Now, this is a bit tricky. When you allow someone to use something for a short time in return for money, you also rent it. 

Most hotels rent rooms at a daily price.
Jack's company rents cars to tourists.

We rented a room to a student last year.

We hope this clears things up! Now, here's a quick review.

1. Do you rent your home? How much do you pay?
2. What things do you lend to your friends?
3. What things do you borrow from your friends? 

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