Borrow, Lend, Other, Order

SAMPLE 1: “As soon as former governor of Lagos State told Sowore to borrow him his bulletin, Sowore calmnly released it to him.” (Reactions trail what Sowore did to Tinubu, Opera News, 25 February, 2025)

I draw readers’ attention to the verb borrow which occurs in the context: “former governor of Lagos State told Sowore to borrow him his bulletin.” These two words are often confused by Nigerians: borrow and lend. The person that gives out or is expected to give out is said to LEND. The one that receives or is expected to receive is said to BORROW. In the context under consideration, it was Sowore that lent the bulletin to the former governor of Lagos State. The latter borrowed the bulletin.

Now read the following sentences: 1) You won’t need to borrow money if your monthly salary is substantial. 2) No matter your financial situation, avoid the habit of borrowing money. 3) I may have to borrow your car to ease my movement. 4) Developing nations are always borrowing money from international financial institutions. 5) The lady borrowed the shoes she wore on her wedding day. 6) I don’t know how people feel comfortable in the dresses they borrow. 7) We all know that English is a borrowed language. 8) Make a practice of not borrowing whatever you do not have. 9) Let’s blend the system of education we borrowed from the West with our traditional values. 10) I borrowed the big bucket from our neighbour. 11) In some strange cultures, people are free to borrow their neighbours’ wives. 12) A person can borrow books as many times as possible from this library. 13) We want to borrow your premises for the party. 14) I borrow those words from the legendary poet and playwright, Wole Soyinka. 15) Do not borrow beyond your capacity to pay back.

We now turn to the word lend. Please read the following sentences: 1) You must be ready to do the biddings of those who lend you money. 2) Please lend me your car. Do you expect me to lend you money without interest? 3) I can lend you my pen provided you will remember to return it. 4) How feasible is it for a person to lend his friend a whole house? 5) Can you lend me that novel? 6) Any money I lend you must be returned within one week. 7) Do not lend people the money you are using to run your business. 8) Lend me your ears.

Do not say: Borrow me some money. Say: Lend me some money. Do not say: It was my sister who borrowed me the money. Say: It was my sister who lent me the money. Do not say: Please borrow me that book. Say: Please lend me that book. Do not say: The library does not borrow people books. Say: The library does not lend people books. Do not say: Her friend borrowed her the money with which she paid her school fees. Say: Her friend lent her the money with which she paid her school fees. Or: She borrowed the money with which she paid her school fees from her friend.

Sample 2: “…the attendant revealed that the deceased until her death was wearing four different boxers in other to hide her personality…” (Mortuary attendant speaks about the first thing…Opera News, 6 February, 2023)

We consider the expression in other to which occurs in the following context: “in other to hide his personality…” The expression in other to is clearly confused with in order to which is the appropriate one for the context. Again, this issue has engaged our attention repeatedly on this page and it would amount to reinventing the wheel if we do not exercise the freedom to appropriate the fruits of our earlier efforts. That freedom is hereby exercised.

Some Nigerian users of English find it difficult to differentiate in pronunciation between the words order and other, thus carrying the phonological confusion into the idiomatic and syntactic usage.

Now read the following sentences: 1) The Treasury Single Account (TSA) was introduced in order to prevent public officers from exceeding their spending limits. 2) Nigerian languages and cultures are being taught in public schools in order to wean our citizens from unhealthy attachment to foreign languages and culture. 3) Regular parents-teachers meetings are held in order to foster a sustained dialogue between parents and teachers. 4) Politicians hold their meetings at night in order to prevent other people from having access to their information. 5) The pregnant woman was immediately subjected to surgery in order to prevent her from laboring too much. 6) The coach subjected his team to regular rigorous training in order to guarantee a brilliant international outing. 7) A lot of stones and cement were used in order to give the building a strong foundation. 8) He told so many lies in order to present himself as a man of integrity. 9) Many advertisements were placed in newspapers in order to generate goodwill for the organization. 10) Many more hands were employed in order to cope with the volume of production this season requires.

The word order can be used in a variety of other ways that should help highlight the difference between it and the word other. Now read the following sentences: 1) It is the constitutional duty of the police to maintain law and order. 2) People will be attended to in the order in which they arrived. 3) The order of service is contained in the pamphlets distributed to the worshippers. 4) No particular order is followed in the way doctors attended to their patients. 5) The chief executive has given an order which cannot be countermanded. 6) The restriction order in that part of the country has been lifted. 7) Since his assumption of office, the president has been trying to put things in order. 8) The machine is out of order and it will require a huge sum of money to fix it. 9) It may interest you to note that I don’t take orders from just anybody. 10) The company has placed an order for a new generator. 11) The army General ordered his men to leave the city. 12) Students were ordered to stay away from the venue of the meeting.

Next we illustrate the usage of the word other. The word can be used in a number of different senses. Read the following sentences: 1) Apart from excessive cash in circulation, there are other factors responsible for inflation. 2) Apart from Christianity and Islam, there are other important religions in the world. 3) The first gentleman seems to be more responsible than the other two. 4) His father had other children by another wife. 5) There are many other things we need to discuss. 6) The other day he was saying something I didn’t quite understand. 7) I see no reason why the two friends should be quarrelling with each other. 8) There are many other books on the same subject. 9) There are situations other than this in which we can encounter similar challenges. 10) We live on the other side of the street. 11) The other false assumption is that life will go on forever. 12) My uncle’s other properties are in Abuja. 13) Some men discriminate against women. In other words, they feel they are superior to women. 14) Soldiers need to understand that this is a democracy and not military dictatorship. In other words, they should learn to submit themselves to civil authority. 15) Parents have a vital role to play in the moral upbringing of their children. In other words, parents should never leave the spiritual and moral destiny of their children entirely in the hands of teachers.

At any rate, the expression in order to should replace in other to in the context under review.

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