Confusing Pairs of Verbs

Can and may let and leave

lie and lay teach and learn

rise and raise sit and set

Can and May

Can means “to be able to.” May means “to be allowed to,” “to

be permitted to,” or “to have the possibility of.”

Can means to be able to.

Can you tell me what time it is?

Are you able to tell me what time it is?

May means “to be allowed to,” or “to be permitted to.”

May I help you?

Allow or permit me to help you.

Let and Leave

Let means “to allow” or “to permit. let, let, let. Leave means “to depart” or “to let

stay or let be.” leave, left, left

Let means “to allow” or “to permit.”

Let me show you how to use the computer.

Allow me to show you how to use the computer.

Leave means “to depart” or “to let stay or let be.”

The train will leave at noon.

The train will depart at noon.

Lie and Lay

Lie means “to recline” or “to rest.” lie, lay, lain.

Lay means “to put” or “to place.” lay, laid, laid.

Lie means “to recline” or “to rest.”

I lie on the ship’s deck.

I rest or recline on the ship’s deck.

Lay means “to put” or “to place.”

Sarah will lay the package on the table.

Sarah will put or place the package on the table.

Teach and Learn Teach means “to show how” or “to

explain.” teach, taught, taught. Learn means “to understand” or “to gain

knowledge.” learn, learned, learned.

Teach means “to show how” or “to explain.”

I will teach you.

I will show you how or explain.

Learn means “to understand” or “to gain knowledge.”

You can learn eaisly.

You can understand or gain knowledge easily.

Rise and Raise

Rise means “to get up”or “to go up.”

rise, rose, risen Raise means to lift something up. raise, raised, raised

Rise means to “get up” or “to go up.”

The oil will rise from the ground.

The oil will go up from the ground.

Raise means to lift something up.

He will raise his hand.

He will lift up his hand.

Sit and Set

Sit means “to rest.” sit, sit, sat

Set means “to place” or “to put.” set, set, set

Sit means “to rest.”

He will sit at the computer for hours.

He will rest at the computer for hours.

Set means “to place” or “to put.”

Please set the trap down gently.

Please place or put the trap down gently.