At basic level, students need to talk about giving things to people. They usually learn 'give' first and use it for everything. But English has several verbs for different kinds of giving, and they are not interchangeable. 'Give' is the general everyday word — 'I gave her a present'. 'Donate' is for charity — 'she donated money to the school'. 'Offer' is when you suggest giving something — 'he offered me his seat'. 'Provide' is for supplying something a person needs — 'the school provides books for students'. 'Supply' is similar to provide but often used for goods or materials — 'the company supplies water to the village'. Each verb fits a different situation. The grammar matters too: 'give' takes 'to' or two objects ('give a book to her' or 'give her a book'). 'Donate' takes 'to'. 'Provide' uses 'with' for the receiver. Students who use 'give' for everything miss the precision of these verbs, and students who use the wrong grammar produce errors. This lesson covers the main verbs of giving at A2 level.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
I gave my sister a birthday card. (general giving — for any reason)
The wealthy man donated a million to the children's hospital. (charity giving)
She offered me her chair when she saw I was tired. (suggested giving — could be accepted or refused)
The school provides free meals for poor students. (supplying for a need)
The company supplies water to the whole village. (providing goods or materials, often regularly)
All five describe giving in some way. What is the difference between them?
Each verb fits a different kind of giving. 'Give' is the general everyday word — works for any situation. 'Donate' is specifically for charity — giving to help others, often money or things to a cause. 'Offer' is the gentlest — suggesting that something is available, which the other person can accept or refuse. 'Provide' is about supplying something a person needs — schools provide education, hospitals provide care. 'Supply' is similar to provide but often used for goods, materials, or services that flow over time. The same act can sometimes be described in different ways — a charity that gives food to families could be described as donating food, providing food, or supplying food. The choice depends on the focus: donate emphasises the charity, provide emphasises the need being met, supply emphasises the regular flow. Students who know only 'give' miss all these subtle differences.
Give uses two patterns:
I gave a book to my friend. (give + thing + to + person)
I gave my friend a book. (give + person + thing — no 'to' needed)
Donate uses 'to':
She donated money to the hospital. (donate + thing + to + person/place)
She donated to the hospital. (donate + to + person/place — no thing needed)
Offer uses two patterns:
He offered her his chair. (offer + person + thing)
He offered his chair to her. (offer + thing + to + person)
Provide uses two patterns — these are different:
The school provides books for students. (provide + thing + for + person)
The school provides students with books. (provide + person + with + thing)
Supply uses two patterns:
The company supplies water to the village. (supply + thing + to + place)
The company supplies the village with water. (supply + place + with + thing)
Which grammar is right for each verb? Why is this important?
Each verb of giving has its own grammar pattern, and using the wrong pattern produces errors. The most error-heavy verb is 'provide' — students often say 'provide books to students' (wrong — should be 'for students') or 'provide with books to students' (mixing the two patterns). 'Provide' takes 'for' (provide books for students) when the thing comes first, OR 'with' (provide students with books) when the person comes first. The same dual pattern applies to 'supply'. 'Donate' is simpler — always 'to' for the receiver. 'Give' has the most flexibility — it allows both 'to + person' and the no-preposition pattern. Students must learn each verb with its grammar, as a chunk. Drilling the patterns prevents the most common errors.
For a present to a friend or family member:
→ give (everyday) — 'I gave my mother flowers'.
→ present (more formal) — 'The students presented flowers to the head teacher'.
→ hand (informal — for passing) — 'She handed me the keys'.
For charity:
→ donate — 'They donated old clothes to the church'.
→ contribute — 'Many people contributed to the disaster fund'.
For work or service:
→ provide — 'The hospital provides free care for children'.
→ supply — 'Local farmers supply vegetables to the market'.
For a polite suggestion of help or food:
→ offer — 'May I offer you some water?'
What is the safest rule for choosing the right verb?
The right verb depends on the situation. For everyday giving — birthdays, friends, family — 'give' is almost always right. For charity — money or goods to help others — 'donate' is more precise than 'give'. For work or service contexts — schools, hospitals, businesses — 'provide' or 'supply' fits better than 'give'. For polite suggestions — offering help, food, or drink — 'offer' is the right verb because it allows the other person to accept or refuse. The safest rule for students: when in doubt, 'give' will work in most everyday situations. But for charity, services, and polite offers, the more specific verb is more accurate and natural.
| Verb | Meaning | Grammar pattern | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| give | General giving | give + thing + to + person / give + person + thing | Everyday situations: gifts, presents, items between people. |
| donate | Give to charity or a cause | donate + thing + to + cause/place | Charity contexts: money to a hospital, clothes to the poor, time to a project. |
| offer | Suggest giving (other person can accept or refuse) | offer + person + thing / offer + thing + to + person | Polite suggestions: offer help, offer a drink, offer a job. |
| provide | Supply something needed | provide + thing + for + person / provide + person + with + thing | Services and needs: school provides books, hospital provides care. |
| supply | Provide goods or materials, often regularly | supply + thing + to + place / supply + place + with + thing | Business contexts: company supplies water, farmers supply vegetables. |
| present | Give in a formal way | present + person + with + thing / present + thing + to + person | Formal occasions: present an award, present a certificate. |
| hand | Pass something directly (often informal) | hand + person + thing | Quick everyday giving: hand me the keys, hand her the book. |
| contribute | Give a part of something larger (often money) | contribute + thing + to + cause | Group efforts: contribute money to a fund, contribute time to a project. |
DISTINCTION 1 — Give vs donate: 'Give' is general; 'donate' is specifically for charity. 'I gave my sister a present' (everyday). 'I donated money to the orphanage' (charity). Donating is a kind of giving, but with a charitable purpose. Using 'give' for charity is not wrong, but 'donate' is more precise.
DISTINCTION 2 — Offer vs give: 'Offer' is gentler than 'give'. When you offer something, the other person can say no. When you give something, you have already done it. 'I offered her a chair' (she might or might not sit). 'I gave her a chair' (she now has the chair). For polite suggestions, 'offer' is the right word.
DISTINCTION 3 — Provide vs supply: Both mean give for a need. 'Provide' is more general — works for services, goods, opportunities. 'Supply' often suggests regular flow of goods or materials, especially in business. 'The school provides education' (general). 'The factory supplies parts' (regular flow). Both can often work for the same situation.
DISTINCTION 4 — The grammar of provide: This is the most error-heavy verb. The two correct patterns are: provide + thing + for + person ('provide books for students') and provide + person + with + thing ('provide students with books'). Wrong: 'provide books to students' (should be 'for' here). Wrong: 'provide students books' (must include 'with'). Drilling the two correct patterns prevents most errors.
DISTINCTION 5 — When 'give' is the right choice: For everyday gifts, presents, and informal situations, 'give' is almost always correct and the most natural. 'I gave my mother flowers' is perfect everyday English. The more specific verbs (donate, offer, provide, supply) fit specific contexts. The safest default: when in doubt, use 'give' for everyday situations.
Verbs of giving come up constantly in everyday English — talking about presents, charity, work, services, and acts of kindness. Students who use only 'give' miss the precision available in this verb family. Cultural context also matters: in some communities, charity giving is a major social topic and 'donate' becomes one of the most useful verbs students need. In others, work and service language is the priority and 'provide' and 'supply' get more use. Teachers should weigh which verbs to drill most based on what students will actually need to say. The grammar of these verbs — especially 'provide' and 'supply' — needs explicit attention because the patterns confuse students more than the meanings.
Drill the grammar patterns with real examples. Provide books for students. Provide students with books. Donate money to the school. Offer help to a friend. The patterns must be automatic so students do not think about them in real-time speech. Use a chant: 'provide for, provide with' until students can produce both patterns at speed.
Choose the best verb of giving for each situation. Think about the kind of giving and the grammar that fits.
Each sentence has a problem with a verb of giving — wrong verb or wrong grammar pattern. Suggest a better version and explain.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — Five verbs for different situations (5 min): Write the five verbs on the board: give, donate, offer, provide, supply. Show one example sentence for each. Discuss the small differences. Give is general. Donate is for charity. Offer is for polite suggestions. Provide is for needs. Supply is for goods over time.
STEP 2 — Match to situation (5 min): Give five short situations. A birthday gift to your sister (give). Money to the hospital (donate). Help to a stranger (offer). Books to all students at school (provide). Water to the village (supply). Discuss why each verb fits.
STEP 3 — The grammar of provide (6 min): Focus on the most error-heavy verb. Write the two correct patterns on the board: 'provide + thing + for + person' (provide books for students) and 'provide + person + with + thing' (provide students with books). Drill both patterns. Warn against 'provide books to students' — wrong.
STEP 4 — The grammar of give and donate (5 min): Show 'give' has two patterns: give + thing + to + person (gave a book to my friend) and give + person + thing (gave my friend a book). Both correct. 'Donate' takes only 'to' for the receiver. Drill the patterns with example sentences.
STEP 5 — Talk about giving in your community (4 min): Each student produces three sentences using three different verbs from the lesson. Examples might include: charity in their community, services their school provides, polite offers people make. Share in pairs. Partner checks: were the right verbs and grammar used?
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
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