Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz: Avoiding Confusing Word Pairs
10 questions · exam conditions
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Avoiding Confusing Word PairsQuestion 1 of 10

Maria wants to use her neighbor's bicycle for one day. She goes to her neighbor's door and says, 'Can you   me your bicycle until tomorrow?'

Which word correctly completes Maria's sentence?

borrow
lend
lent
borrowed
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Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz

Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz: Avoiding Confusing Word Pairs

Practice Avoiding Confusing Word Pairs in Adult ESL/ELL Beginner with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Avoiding Confusing Word Pairs, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult ESL/ELL Beginner.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Maria wants to use her neighbor's bicycle for one day. She goes to her neighbor's door and says, 'Can you   me your bicycle until tomorrow?'

Which word correctly completes Maria's sentence?

  1. borrow
  2. lend (correct answer)
  3. lent
  4. borrowed
Explanation: When you see a question about borrow vs. lend, focus on who is doing what. Lend means to give something to someone for a short time. Borrow means to take or receive something from someone for a short time. In Maria's sentence, the subject is "you," meaning the neighbor. Maria is asking the neighbor to give her the bicycle for a short time. The neighbor is the giver, so the correct word is lend: "Can you lend me your bicycle until tomorrow?" After "can," English uses the base form of the verb, and "lend" is the base form. Answer B is correct. Answer A is wrong because "borrow" is what the receiver does. To use it, Maria would need to say "Can I borrow your bicycle?", with "I" as the subject, not "you." Answer C uses "lent," the past form of "lend." After "can," we use the base form, so "Can you lent me" is not correct. Answer D has both problems: "borrowed" is the wrong verb and the wrong form. A helpful tip: ask yourself who is the subject, and are they giving or receiving? Givers lend; receivers borrow. And after "can," always use the base form of the verb.

Question 2

Read this note that David wrote to his roommate: 'I took your umbrella this morning because it was raining. I will give it back tonight. Sorry for not asking first — I should have asked to   it.'

Which word correctly fills in the blank in David's note?

  1. Lend
  2. Loan
  3. Borrow (correct answer)
  4. Keep
Explanation: When you see a question about borrow vs. lend, ask yourself: who is taking the item, and who is giving it? The person who takes and uses something belonging to someone else is borrowing. The person who gives their item to someone else is lending. Think of it this way: you borrow from someone, and you lend to someone. In David's note, he took his roommate's umbrella and used it. That means David is the borrower. He should have asked to borrow it. Answer C is correct. Answer A (lend) is wrong because lend describes what the owner does. David's roommate could lend the umbrella; David cannot lend something that is not his. Answer B (loan) is wrong for the same reason: to loan something means to lend it, which is the owner's action. Answer D (keep) does not match the note. David says, "I will give it back tonight," so he is not asking to keep the umbrella. A handy memory trick: Borrow = Being the one who takes. Lend = Letting someone else use yours. When filling in a blank, always identify whose perspective the sentence is written from.

Question 3

A student wrote this paragraph about her weekend: 'On Saturday, my cousin came to my house. She is very good at cooking. She learned me how to make three new dishes. Now I can cook them by myself!'

The student made one word error in her paragraph. Which sentence contains the error, and what is the correct word?

  1. The error is in 'She learned me how to make three new dishes' — 'learned' should be 'taught' because the cousin is giving cooking knowledge to the student (correct answer)
  2. The error is in 'She learned me how to make three new dishes' — 'learned' should be 'borrowed' because the cousin is sharing a skill
  3. The error is in 'Now I can cook them by myself' — 'cook' should be 'learn' because the student is still gaining the skill
  4. There is no error; 'learned me' is an informal but fully correct way to say that someone gave knowledge to another person
Explanation: When studying English grammar, one of the trickiest areas involves transfer verbs — verbs that describe moving knowledge or objects from one person to another. The key question to ask is: Who is doing the action, and in which direction does it flow? In this passage, the cousin is the one sharing cooking knowledge with the student. That means the cousin is the giver of the skill. The correct verb for giving knowledge or a skill to someone is "teach" (past tense: taught). The verb "learn" describes receiving knowledge — it belongs to the student, not the cousin. Saying "she learned me" confuses the direction entirely, putting the cousin in the learner's role grammatically. Answer A correctly identifies this error and replaces "learned" with "taught," which accurately reflects that the cousin transferred her cooking skills to the student. Answer B is wrong because "borrowed" means temporarily taking something with the intention of returning it — it has nothing to do with sharing a skill or giving instruction. Answer C is wrong because "Now I can cook them by myself" is grammatically correct and logically fits the paragraph — the student is expressing her new ability, not describing ongoing learning. Answer D is a common trap: while informal speech sometimes bends grammar rules, "learned me" is not simply informal — it is a genuine error that reverses the subject-verb relationship entirely. A helpful memory trick: you learn something, but you teach someone. If a person is passing knowledge to another person, always reach for "teach/taught," never "learn/learned."

Question 4

Jin sees this sign at his local library: 'This library   books, DVDs, and magazines to all community members with a library card.'

Which word correctly completes the library's sign?

  1. borrows
  2. receives
  3. lends (correct answer)
  4. sells
Explanation: When you see a question about lend vs. borrow, ask yourself: who is giving, and who is receiving? These two words describe the same exchange from opposite sides, and mixing them up is one of the most common vocabulary mistakes in English. Here's the key rule: lend means to give something temporarily, while borrow means to receive something temporarily. The library gives books to community members — so the library lends. A community member receives a book from the library — so that person borrows. Same action, two different words depending on whose perspective you're describing. In the sign, the subject is "this library," and the library is the one giving out materials to community members. That makes C the correct answer — "lends" accurately describes the library's role as the giver in this exchange. Answer A is wrong because "borrows" describes the receiver's action, not the giver's. The library doesn't borrow — the community members do. Answer B makes the same mistake: "receives" also describes the person getting the materials, not the library giving them. Answer D is wrong because "sells" means giving something for money, forever. A library card lets people take materials for free and bring them back. A helpful memory trick: "lend a hand" means you're giving help to someone. If you're the one giving, use lend. If you're the one receiving, use borrow.

Question 5

Carlos is a new student. He reads this sentence in his textbook and is not sure if it is correct: 'My teacher learned me how to write in English.'

What is wrong with the sentence, and how should it be fixed?

  1. Nothing is wrong; 'learned' and 'taught' mean the same thing in this context, so both are acceptable here
  2. 'Learned' should be 'taught' because the teacher is the one giving knowledge to someone else, not the one receiving it (correct answer)
  3. 'Learned' should be 'taught' because students always use 'taught' and teachers always use 'learned' in sentences
  4. 'Learned' should be 'studied' because the teacher is helping the student practice, not giving information
Explanation: When you see a question about word choice involving actions between a teacher and a student, ask yourself: who is doing the action, and what is that action? In English, "learn" and "teach" describe opposite roles — learning is receiving knowledge, while teaching is giving knowledge to someone else. These verbs are not interchangeable. In the sentence "My teacher learned me how to write in English," the subject is the teacher. The teacher is the one passing knowledge to the student, so the correct verb is "taught." The fixed sentence should read: "My teacher taught me how to write in English." This makes B the correct answer — "learned" must be replaced with "taught" because the teacher is the one transferring knowledge, not receiving it. Answer A is wrong because "learned" and "taught" are not the same thing in this context. Using "learned" here is a common error, but it changes the meaning of the sentence. Answer C is wrong because the rule is not about who is speaking — teachers and students can both appear in sentences with either verb. The choice depends on the role in the action, not the person's job title. Answer D is wrong because "studied" means to practice or review on your own; it does not describe one person passing knowledge to another, so it doesn't fit this sentence at all. A helpful tip: whenever you see "learn" and "teach" in a question, ask yourself — who is giving, and who is receiving? The giver always "teaches"; the receiver always "learns."

Question 6

Anna is filling out a form at a new job. She writes: 'I hope to   a lot at this company and become a better worker.'

Should Anna write 'learn' or 'teach' in the blank, and why?

  1. 'Teach' because Anna wants to give her new skills to the company over time
  2. 'Learn' because 'learn' and 'improve' mean the same thing, and Anna wants to improve at her new job
  3. 'Teach' because in a work setting, experienced workers always teach and new workers always learn
  4. 'Learn' because Anna is talking about gaining new knowledge and skills for herself (correct answer)
Explanation: When you see a question like this, focus on who is doing the action and in which direction. "Learn" means to receive or gain knowledge — it flows into you. "Teach" means to give knowledge to someone else — it flows out from you. Keeping this direction in mind makes questions like this much easier. In the sentence, Anna is a new employee writing about her own growth. She wants to gain new knowledge and skills for herself at this company. That matches perfectly with D — "learn" is the right word because Anna is the one receiving new information, not passing it to others. Here's why the other choices miss the mark. A says "teach" because Anna wants to give her new skills to the company — but the sentence is about Anna's personal development, not about instructing others. She's new; she doesn't yet have skills to pass along. B says "learn" but gives the wrong reason — "learn" and "improve" are not synonyms. "Learn" means to gain knowledge; "improve" means to get better at something you already do. Even if the answer letter is close, the reasoning matters, and flawed reasoning reflects a misunderstanding you want to avoid. C claims teach/learn roles are always fixed by experience level at work — this is a stereotype, not a grammar or vocabulary rule, and it doesn't help you choose words correctly. A useful tip: before filling in any blank, ask yourself "Is the subject giving or receiving knowledge?" If they're receiving it, use "learn." If they're giving it, use "teach."

Question 7

Read this short conversation: Tom: 'I need $20 for the bus. Can I   some money from you?' Sue: 'Sure, I can   you $20.'

Which pair of words correctly fills in both blanks in the conversation above?

  1. lend / borrow — Tom gives money away and Sue receives it from him
  2. borrow / lend — Tom receives money from Sue and Sue gives it to him (correct answer)
  3. borrow / borrow — both speakers are receiving money in this situation
  4. lend / lend — both speakers are giving money away in this situation
Explanation: When you see a question about borrow and lend, always ask yourself: who is giving, and who is receiving? These two words describe the same transaction from opposite sides, and mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes in English. Here's the key rule: borrow means to receive something temporarily, while lend means to give something temporarily. In the conversation, Tom needs money — he wants to receive it from Sue, so he uses borrow. Sue agrees to give Tom the money, so she uses lend. That makes the correct pair borrow / lend, which is answer B. Now let's look at why the other choices fail. Choice A reverses the pair entirely — it says Tom "gives money away" and Sue "receives it," but the conversation is the exact opposite: Tom is the one who needs money, not Sue. Choice C uses borrow twice, but Sue is not receiving anything — she is the one giving, so borrow doesn't describe her action at all. Choice D uses lend twice, but Tom is not giving anything away — he is the one who needs to receive money, so lend doesn't fit his sentence either. A simple memory trick: think of borrow as "bring it to me" (receiving) and lend as "let you have it" (giving). When you read a sentence, identify who needs the item — that person borrows. The person providing the item lends. Apply this check every time you see these two words.

Question 8

Read this conversation between two friends: Lisa: 'My English is not very good. Can you help me practice?' Kevin: 'Sure! I can   you some new words today if you want.'

Which word correctly fills in Kevin's blank, and why?

  1. 'Teach,' because Kevin already knows the words and is giving that knowledge to Lisa (correct answer)
  2. 'Borrow,' because Kevin is taking words from his own knowledge and sharing them with Lisa
  3. 'Learn,' because Kevin and Lisa will both study the new words together at the same time
  4. 'Lend,' because Kevin is giving something of his to Lisa temporarily, just as you lend a physical object
Explanation: When you see a question about filling in a blank with a verb, ask yourself: who is doing the action, and in which direction does the knowledge or object flow? This question tests whether you understand the difference between "teach," "learn," "borrow," and "lend" — four words that ESL students commonly confuse. In Kevin's sentence, Kevin already knows the words and is passing that knowledge to Lisa. That makes A the correct answer. "Teach" means to give knowledge or a skill to someone else. Kevin is the one with the knowledge, Lisa is the one receiving it — a perfect fit for "teach." Here's why the other choices don't work. B, "borrow," means to receive something temporarily from another person — for example, "Can I borrow your pen?" Kevin isn't receiving anything from Lisa, so "borrow" makes no sense here. C, "learn," means to gain knowledge yourself. If Kevin said "I can learn you some words," it would mean Kevin is the one studying — but Kevin already knows the words, so this reverses the roles. Lisa is the one who will learn; Kevin is the one who will teach. D, "lend," means to give something physical temporarily with the expectation it comes back. You lend a book or money, not knowledge or skills — so "lend" doesn't fit the context of sharing information. A helpful memory trick: "Teach" flows outward (you give knowledge), "learn" flows inward (you receive knowledge). When you see these words on a test, always identify who already has the knowledge and who is gaining it.

Question 9

A student wrote these two sentences for homework: Sentence 1: 'My older sister always borrows me her clothes.' Sentence 2: 'I always lend her clothes when I need them.'

Which sentence or sentences are correct, and why?

  1. Both sentences are correct because 'borrow' and 'lend' can be used in either direction between two people
  2. Only Sentence 1 is correct because the older sister is the one giving clothes to the student
  3. Neither sentence is correct; Sentence 1 should use 'lends' and Sentence 2 should use 'borrow' (correct answer)
  4. Only Sentence 2 is correct because the student is giving clothes to the sister in that sentence
Explanation: When learning English, two words that confuse many students are "borrow" and "lend." The key is understanding direction: lend means to give something temporarily, while borrow means to receive something temporarily. Think of it this way — a library lends books to you, and you borrow books from the library. With that in mind, look at the two sentences. In Sentence 1, the older sister is the one giving clothes to the student, so the correct word is lends, not borrows. The corrected sentence should read: "My older sister always lends me her clothes." In Sentence 2, the student says she gives clothes to her sister when she needs them — but that means the student is lending, not borrowing. The corrected sentence should read: "I always lend her my clothes when she needs them." Both original sentences use the wrong word, which makes C the correct answer. Answer A is wrong because "borrow" and "lend" are not interchangeable — they describe opposite directions of the same exchange, and using them incorrectly changes the meaning entirely. Answer B is wrong because while the sister is giving clothes in Sentence 1, the word used ("borrows") is still incorrect — only the corrected version with "lends" would be right. Answer D is wrong because Sentence 2 actually describes the student giving clothes to the sister, which requires "lend," not "borrow" — so Sentence 2 is also incorrect as written. A helpful memory trick: "Lend = Let go" (you give it away temporarily). If you're the one receiving, you borrow.

Question 10

Read this short paragraph: 'Every Saturday, Mr. Park goes to the library. He takes three books home with him. He always brings them back the next week.'

Based on the paragraph, which sentence best describes what Mr. Park does each Saturday?

  1. Mr. Park lends three books from the library every Saturday and returns them the following week
  2. Mr. Park borrows three books from the library every Saturday but does not need to return them
  3. Mr. Park lends three books to the library every Saturday and picks them up the following week
  4. Mr. Park borrows three books from the library every Saturday and returns them the following week (correct answer)
Explanation: When reading a paragraph and choosing the best summary, focus on two things: the exact meaning of key vocabulary words and whether the answer matches all the details in the passage — not just some of them. The paragraph tells us Mr. Park takes books home from the library and brings them back the next week. This means he is borrowing books — temporarily taking them with the intention of returning them. And he does return them, the following week. Answer D captures all of this perfectly: he borrows three books every Saturday and returns them the following week. Every detail matches. Here is why the other choices fall short. Answer A uses the word "lends," which means giving something to someone else. Mr. Park is not giving books to the library — he is taking them from it. "Lends" is the opposite of what is happening, making A incorrect. Answer B correctly identifies that Mr. Park borrows the books, but it says he does not need to return them. The passage clearly states he "always brings them back," so this directly contradicts the text. Answer C makes two errors: it says he "lends" books to the library (wrong direction entirely) and says he picks them up the following week, which reverses the whole story. A useful strategy: on reading comprehension questions, pay close attention to vocabulary words like borrow and lend — they are easy to confuse but mean opposite things. Borrow = you receive something temporarily. Lend = you give something temporarily. Knowing this difference will help you on many ESL reading questions.