Grammar · Commonly Confused Words
Commonly Confused Word Pairs
Say or tell? Make or do? Lend or borrow? Bring or take? Four small switches, with the film Paddington in Peru.
Grammar › Commonly Confused Words › Commonly Confused Word Pairs
The rule in one sentenceEach pair has one small switch: say words, tell a person; make something new, do a job; lend if you give, borrow if you get; bring it here, take it there.
About the film
Paddington in Peru is a film from 2024. Paddington is a polite bear who lives in London with the Brown family. His Aunt Lucy lives far away, in a home for old bears in Peru. When Paddington gets a letter, he tells the Browns the news, and they take a plane to Peru. Paddington makes marmalade sandwiches for the trip, and a boat captain called Hunter Cabot takes them up the river on his boat.
What does it do?
These four pairs look like the same word, but each pair has a small switch. Find the switch, and the right word is easy.
say is for the words. tell is for the person who listens. make is for something new. do is for a job or an action. lend is what the giver does. borrow is what the taker does. bring comes here, to you. take goes there, away from you.
Look at the third tile. Hunter and the Browns do one action, but from two sides. The giver lends. The person who gets it borrows.
Some words always go with one side. Learn them as one piece:
Paddington brings a gift for Aunt Lucy. He takes it all the way to Peru.
Same gift. “Brings” looks at it arriving with Aunt Lucy. “Takes” looks at it leaving London.
Visual guide
Teacher Teddy’s illustrated guide to this rule is being drawn — the full swipe-through infographic will appear here soon.
How to make it
say · make · lend · bring
Paddington says thank you. Hunter lends him a hat.
Mr Brown doesn’t make the sandwiches. Paddington does.
doesn’t + make / say / lend / bringCan you bring the map here, please?
bring = to the speakertell · do · borrow · take
Judy tells Jonathan the plan. They borrow a boat from Hunter.
Mrs Bird doesn’t do the packing today.
doesn’t + do / tell / borrow / takeDid the Browns take extra rope into the jungle?
take = away from the speakerWhen to use each one
say · make · lend · bring
tell · do · borrow · take
Words that help: which side?
The words after the verb often tell you the answer.
say · make · lend · bring
tell · do · borrow · take
Common mistakes
❌ Paddington said Mrs Brown the news.
✅ Paddington told Mrs Brown the news.
There is a person after the verb, so use “tell”.
❌ Can you borrow me your umbrella?
✅ Can you lend me your umbrella?
You want the other person to give it, so use “lend”.
❌ Paddington did a cake for Aunt Lucy.
✅ Paddington made a cake for Aunt Lucy.
A cake is something new, so use “make”.
❌ Judy, take the map here so we can see it.
✅ Judy, bring the map here so we can see it.
The map comes to the speaker, so use “bring”.
One more thing
This part is a little harder. You can come back to it later.
“Tell” has a few fixed friends with no person. You can say tell the truth, tell a story and tell a joke with no listener. And say can take “to” before a person.
✅ Aunt Lucy always tells the truth.
✅ Paddington said goodbye to the Browns. (say + words + to + person)
Practice: choose the right word
Eight questions. Choose one word. You get the answer, and why.
1. Aunt Lucy ___ Paddington that she misses him.
A person comes after the verb → tells.
2. “I am scared,” Paddington ___ quietly.
Only the words, no person → said.
3. Mrs Bird ___ the washing up every evening.
A job in the house → does.
4. Paddington ___ sandwiches for the trip.
Food is something new → makes.
5. Hunter ___ the Browns his boat.
Hunter gives it → lends.
6. The Browns ___ the boat from Hunter.
The Browns get it → borrow.
7. Could you ___ the map over here, please?
To the speaker, here → bring.
8. The Browns ___ extra rope into the jungle.
Away from here, to there → take.
Your turn
Choose one ending. Then listen to your sentence.
Every sentence here is correct. Pick the one that is true for you. Say it out loud too!
Keep going
This film’s lesson
More lessons
Now hear it in the film
You have just learned commonly confused word pairs with Paddington in Peru. Now hear the whole film explained in English.
The full listening episode on the same film — a slow, clear movie review with the language used in real speech, and a free transcript.
IntermediateEpisode 14Watch on YouTube