Lent Or Lended: Understanding the Correct Usage

Ever wondered if you should say lent or lended? A lot of people get confused about which word to use when referring to the past tense of “lend.”

Let’s break down the difference between lent and lended and figure out the right time to use each one.

Understanding Lent or Lended

Lent: Definition and Usage

Lent is the correct past tense and past participle form of the verb “lend”. The word lend means to give someone something (like money or an item) for a short time, expecting it to be returned later.

For example:

• “I lent my friend $20 last week.”
• “She lent me her jacket because I was cold.”

Whenever you’re talking about something you gave temporarily in the past, you should use lent. It’s important to remember that lended is not a proper word in modern English, so you should avoid using it.

• Use lent when talking about something you or someone else gave to another person temporarily in the past.
• Lent can be used in both formal and casual conversations.

Examples of lent:

• “They lent their car to their neighbor for the weekend.”
• “The library lent me a few books for my project.”

Whether it’s lending money, lending items, or offering help, always use lent when speaking about something that happened in the past.

Lended: Definition and Usage

Lended is not a correct word in modern English. While it might sound like it should be the past tense of “lend,” the proper form is lent. Lended is considered a mistake and is not used in either spoken or written English.

To put it simply:

• Lent is the correct past tense of lend.
• Lended is incorrect and should be avoided.

Some people mistakenly think lended follows regular verb rules, where you just add “-ed” to the end, like “talked” or “played.” However, lend is an irregular verb, which means its past tense doesn’t follow the regular “-ed” pattern. Instead, it changes to lent.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Aspect	Lent	Lended
Correct usage	Yes, correct the past tense of “lend.”	No, not a proper word
Verb type	Irregular verb(does not ”ed.”	Incorrect form
Example sentences	“I lent her my book”	N/A(incorrect usage)
Used in formal English	Yes, used in both formal and casual context	No always incorrect
Common mistake	No, it’s correct	Yes, often mistake for correct

What is the Key Difference Between Lended and Lent?

The key difference between “lended” and “lent” lies in their grammatical correctness:

• Lent: This is the correct past tense of the verb “lend”, which describes giving something temporarily with the expectation it will be returned. It follows the rules for irregular verbs and is accepted in both formal and informal contexts.
  • Example: “I lent him my book for the weekend.”

• Lended: This is an incorrect form of the past tense of “lend”. It does not follow standard English grammar rules and should be avoided in all contexts.
  • Example (incorrect): “He lended me his bike.”

When to Use Lent or Lended

Use Lent

When talking about giving something temporarily in the past, you should always use lent. 

For example, 

• I lent my friend my bike last weekend.

Lent is the correct past tense form of the verb “lend”. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about money, books, or help – if you did it in the past, the right word is always lent.

Avoid Using Lended

Many people think that lended is the past tense of lend, but this is incorrect. Lended is not a real word and should not be used in English. 

It’s a common mistake because it sounds like it should follow the regular verb rule of adding “-ed,” but the correct form is always lent.

When to Use Lent Only

Use “lent” when describing the past action of temporarily giving something to someone with the expectation that it will be returned. Since “lent” is the correct past tense of “lend”, it applies in casual conversations and formal writing.

Examples

• “I lent her my umbrella when it started raining.”
• “He lent me his car for the day.”
• “They lent us some money to cover the bill.”

When to Use Lended

You should never use “lended” because it is grammatically incorrect. The proper past tense of “lend” is “lent.” Even though many regular verbs form their past tense by adding -ed, “lend” is an irregular verb, and its correct past tense form is “lent”.

For example:

• Incorrect: “He lended me his bike.”
• Correct: “He lent me his bike.”

Conjugations of Lend  

Here are the conjugations of the verb “lend” in various tenses:

Present Tense

• I/We lend: First person singular and plural
• You lend: Second person singular and plural
• He/She/It lends: Third person singular
• They lend: Third person plural

Present Participle

• Lending

Simple Past Tense

• Lent

Past Participle

• Lent

Examples:

• Present: “I lend my tools to my neighbors.”
• Present Participle: “She is lending her book to her friend.”
• Simple Past: “He lent me his car last week.”
• Past Participle: “They have lent their equipment many times.”

“Lent” is the correct past tense and past participle of “lend.”

Tricks to Remember the Difference 

A simple trick to remember the difference between “lent” and “lended” is to think of another irregular verb like “bend”, which changes to “bent” in the past tense. Since “lent” and “bent” rhyme, this can help you recall that “lent” is the correct past tense of “lend.”

Here’s the key

• Bent rhymes with lent.
• Both are past tense forms of irregular verbs.

Lent or Lended in a Sentences

• “I lent my sister my phone to make a call.” – Correct
• “They lended us their car for the weekend.” – Incorrect
• “She lent me her book for the trip.” – Correct
• “He lended me some money last week.” – Incorrect
• “The teacher lent us a pencil during the test.” – Correct
• “We lended them a few chairs for the party.” – Incorrect
•  “My neighbor lent me his lawnmower yesterday.” – Correct
• “She lended her coat to her friend because it was cold.” – Incorrect
• “I lent my notes to a classmate who missed the lecture.” – Correct
• “They lended their house to us for the weekend.” – Incorrect
• “The bank lent him money to start his business.” – Correct
• “He lended his tools to me for the project.” – Incorrect

Past Tense of Lent

“Lent” is already the past tense of “lend,” so it does not have a separate past tense form. If you need to express something in the past perfect or present perfect, you would still use “lent” as the past participle.

Example:

• Past tense: “I lent him my book.”
• Present perfect: “I have lent him my book.”
• Past perfect: “I had lent him my book before he asked again.”

So, there is no “past tense” of “lent,” as it is already the past tense of “lend.”

Past tense of lend 

The past tense of “lend” is “lent.”

Example:

• “She lent me her phone when mine ran out of battery.”

“Lent” is the correct form to use when describing something that was loaned in the past.

Synonyms of Lent

• Loaned
• Advanced
• Extended (as in offering help or support)
• Granted (in specific contexts, like granting permission or help)
• Provided
• Supplied

Antonyms of Synonyms

• Withdrew
• Retained
• Kept
• Held
• Denied
• Refused

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

Is it lent or loaned or lended?

The correct terms are “lent” and “loaned.” “Lended” is grammatically incorrect.

Is it lent money or lended money?

It is “lent money,” as “lent” is the correct past tense of “lend.” “Lended” should not be used.

Is lent grammatically correct?

Yes, “lent” is grammatically correct as the past tense of “lend.” It is accepted in both formal and informal contexts.

Is it lent itself or lended itself?

It is “lent itself,” as “lended” is incorrect. Always use “lent” in this context.

Is “lent” used for both people and objects?

Yes, lent can be used when referring to lending both people and objects. For example, “She lent her time to help with the project” and “He lent me his bike.”

 Can “lent” be used in formal writing?

Yes, lent is appropriate in both formal and informal writing. It’s the correct past tense form of “lend” in any context, whether casual or professional.

Are there any exceptions to using “lent” as the past tense of “lend”?

No, there are no exceptions. In modern English, lent is always used as the past tense of “lend.”

Where did the confusion with “lended” come from?

The confusion often comes from people applying the regular verb rule of adding -ed to form the past tense, but lend is an irregular verb, so it doesn’t follow this rule.

Can “lended” be considered correct in any dialect of English?

No, lended is not considered correct in any form of standard English, whether American, British or any other dialect. Always use lent.

Conclusion

Lent is the correct past tense of lend, and it’s the word you should use whenever talking about something you gave temporarily in the past. Whether you’re referring to money, objects, or even time, lent fits in all situations. 

On the other hand, lended is not a correct word and should be avoided. By using lent properly, you’ll ensure your communication is clear and grammatically correct.

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