How to use 'borrow' and 'lend'

When you ask the permission of the owner to use his thing, you borrow it from him.

If someone requests your permission to use your thing and you hand it to him, you lend it to him.

Students often make the following mistakes in sentences regarding these two words:

1 Will you please borrow your book to me?

2 I borrowed him a pen just now.

3 Please borrow me your pencil.

4 May I lend your mobile phone for a while?

5 Who has lent my calculator without telling me?

The above sentences should have been:

1 Will you please lend me your book?

2 I lent him a pen just now.

3 Please lend me your pencil.

4 May I borrow your mobile phone for a while?

5 Who has borrowed my calculator without telling me?

To remember the correct usage, the following guide may be of use to students of English:

a) When you get something from someone for temporary use, use ‘borrow’.

e.g. I borrowed a ruler from John.

b) When you give something to someone for his temporary use, use ‘lend’.

e.g. I lent him a ruler.

c) In question form, when you want to ask someone permission to use his thing, use ‘May I borrow…” e.g. May I borrow your book?

d) When you want to ask permission to use your friend’s thing and you begin your sentence with ‘Will you …’, you must use ‘lend’. .e.g. Will you lend me your book?

In short, when a certain thing comes from someone to you, use ‘borrow’ and when it comes from you to another person, use ‘lend’.

N.B. ‘lent’ is past tense of ‘lend’