When we talk about giving something to someone with the plan of getting it back later, we use a special word in English. But sometimes, people get confused about which word to use. Should it be “lended” or “lent”? “Lent” is the correct past tense and past participle form of the verb “lend.” Let’s figure it out in a very simple way.
What Does “Lent” Mean?
“Lent” is the past tense and past participle of the verb “to lend.” When you lend something, you allow someone to use your thing for a while, believing they will give it back later. For example, you might lend your book to a friend, meaning you let your friend use your book with the expectation that they will return it after reading.
Here is how you use “lent” in a sentence:
- Yesterday, I lent my pencil to Jake.
- She has lent her car to her brother for the weekend.
In both examples, “lent” shows that the action of lending happened in the past.
What About “Lended”?
You might hear some people say “lended”, but that’s not the right word to use. “Lended” sounds like it could be correct because we often add “ed” to the end of words to talk about the past. For example, “walk” becomes “walked”. But English can be tricky, and “lend” is a special case. It changes to “lent” for the past.
Examples to Understand Better
To make it clearer, let’s look at some examples:
- Right: Have you ever lent money to a friend?
- Not Right: Have you ever lended money to a friend?
- Right: Yesterday, I lent my book to Sara.
- Not Right: Yesterday, I lended my book to Sara.
- Right: “I lent him my pencil yesterday, and he returned it today.”
- Not Right: “I lended him my pencil yesterday, and he returned it today.”
- Right: “She lent me her car for the weekend.”
- Not Right: “She lended me her car for the weekend.”
Tips to Remember
- Lent is the Correct Word: Always remember that “lent” is the correct past tense and past participle form of “lend.”
- Irregular Verbs: English has many irregular verbs that don’t follow the standard “-ed” rule for the past tense. It’s essential to learn them to speak and write correctly.
- Practice Makes Perfect: The more you practice using “lent” in sentences, the easier it will become to remember to use it instead of “lended.”
Conclusion
Remember, when talking about giving something to someone in the past, the correct word to use is “lent,” not “lended.” Keeping this simple rule in mind will help you use these words correctly. And don’t worry if you make mistakes; learning is all about getting things wrong and then getting them right. Happy learning!
Must Try:
