Confusing Pairs of Verbs
Can and may
lie and lay
rise and raise
let and leave
teach and learn
sit and set
Can and May
means “to be able to.”
 May means “to be allowed to,” “to
be permitted to,” or “to have the
possibility of.”
 Can
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
means “to allow” or “to permit.
let, let, let.
 Leave means “to depart” or “to let
stay or let be.”
leave, left, left
 Let
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
means “to show how” or “to
explain.”
teach, taught, taught.
 Learn means “to understand” or “to gain
knowledge.”
learn, learned, learned.
 Teach
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
means “to rest.”
sit, sit, sat
 Sit
means “to place” or “to put.”
set, 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.