Concept questions for "to rent"?

[cmorrill]

Can someone help me how to teach concept check questions for the verb "to rent"

[AAnderson]

As in "rent a DVD", or "rent a flat"?

Depending on the level, as a concept question I'd probably ask something along the lines of "Can you keep it forever?", "Is it yours?", "Do you own it?", "Do you have to give it back/return it?"

Hope that helps.

[Peter Easton]

'What do you call it when you borrow something but you pay for borrowing it?'

They're either going to say 'hire' or 'rent'.

[systematic]

It's confusing in English because to rent and to hire can refer both to the actions of the servce provider and the borrower.

I rent a flat from the town corporation.
The town corporation rents flats to students.

Hertz® hires cars.
I hire my cars from Hertz®

The context will usually show what is meant.

Usage Note: lend and borrow in English are however NOT interchangeable. The person who lends gives. The person who borrows receives.

In other languages such as German, for example, the verbs leihen, ausleihen, borgen, verborgen, are used differently, leading often to the wrong use of the English translation by English learners.