lend

The verb "lend" is similar to "give," but something that is lent is eventually returned to the original owner. You can use this word with money and objects:

• Can you lend me some money? I’ll pay you back tomorrow.
• Bertha lent her sister $50.
• Some banks haven’t been lending money the way they used to because they’re afraid of losing it.
• Dan was lent $200, but he hasn’t paid it back yet. (passive voice)
• A library will lend you books, CDs, and DVDs for learning English.
• You should avoid lending money to friends. That could cause problems in your relationship. (The word "lending" in this sentence is a gerund.)
• Can you lend me a hand for a minute? (Lend me a hand = help me)

Hey, can you lend me twenty bucks?

Add "er" to the word "lend" to form the noun "lender."

• We need to find a lender in order to open a small business. (lender = bank; a person with a lot of money who lends out money.)
• Many lenders made bad loans to borrowers before 2008, and that has caused a lot of problems for the economy.
• Neither a borrower nor a lender be. (Polonius gives his son Laertes some advice before he goes off to college in Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet.)

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September 15, 2014