CONFUSING VERBS

There are many verbs that sound similar

and it’s easy to get confused between
them. Here is a list of some of the most
common confusing verb pairs, their
meanings and examples of how they
should be used in a sentence.
Verb Meaning/ Use The Verb in Context

Can I borrow $20 from you

borrow To take a loan
please?

lend To give a loan I will lend you $20.

1.To report someone’s 1.Did she say anything

words about me?
say
2.To ask about how to use 2.How do you say “hello”
a language in Spanish?

1.To instruct 1.Tell him to stop the car.

tell
2.To narrate 2.He’s telling a good joke.
 To carry out activities or He needs to do his
do
tasks homework.

1.To cause to happen 1.Don’t make him angry.

make 2.To create or build 2.Don’t forget to make a
something list.

1.I can contact the

1.To show ability company if you would like
can
2.To request (informal) me to.
2.Can I help you?

1.I may see you later at the

1.To express a possibility
may party.
2.To request (polite)
2.May I help you?
 1.To come into contact
with someone 1.He met her for the first
2.To be introduced to time yesterday.
meet
someone 2.I will meet you in front of
3.To arrange to see the main building.
someone

1.To be familiar with 1.I’ve known Sheila for a

someone long time.
know
2.To understand a fact or 2.He knows a lot about
truth geography.
 1.Don’t waste your time
To fail to use something
watching too much TV.
waste valuable in an effective
2.Don’t waste water! We
way
don’t have enough of it.

1.I spent a lot of money at

1.To pay out the shop yesterday.
spend
2.To pass time 2.He spends much of his
time at the beach.
 1.The cat lies in the sun
most of the day.
2.The documents are lying
1.To recline or to rest on the table now.
lie
2.To not tell the truth 3.He lay on his bed in pain
last night.
4.He lied to me about the
money he’d spent.

1.He lays his keys on the

counter every day.
lay To put, place or set down
2.He laid the mail on the
table when he came in.
 To carry towards someone He brings me flowers
bring
or somewhere every week.

To carry away from He always takes his

take
someone or somewhere brother to hockey games.

To take or claim as one’s They adopted a child from

adopt
own Vietnam last year.

1.John adapted to the

weather in the East quite
1.To get used to quickly.
adapt
2.To change 2.That company adapts
and resells the ideas of
others.
 1.He rises at 5:00 every
1.To get up morning
rise
2.To go up 2.Gas prices are steadily
rising.

The government is raising

raise to make higher
the price of fuel.

Joshua emigrated from the

emigrate To leave a country
UK in 2001.

To move to another She immigrated to Canada

immigrate
country in 2002.
Exercises – Confusing verbs

1. I have already ____ to the customs in this new country I live in.
(adapted / adopted)
2. Ed ______ Suzanne at a single’s party last month. (met / knew)
3. The girls ____ money from their father to buy their mom a gift. (lent /
borrowed)
4. My father _______ the American flag on all US holidays. (raises / rises)
5. He’s ________ down because he doesn’t feel well. (laying / lying)
6. Cho left China and _______ to Australia in 1998. (emigrated /
immigrated)
7. I don’t know how to do it, but I’m sure the service department
________ help you. (can / may)
8. I hope you will _______ your job well. (make / do)
9. Anna parties every night. It has started _______ her work. (effecting /
affecting)
10. Please turn off the lights. We don’t like to _____ energy. (spend /
waste)
Answers:
1. adapted
2. met
3. borrowed
4. raises
5. lying
6. immigrated
7. can
8. do
9. affecting
10. waste