Cool MateGive this to vs Provide
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Give this to
Top 2,000 (common)
Provide
Top 1,000 (very common)A2verb
Most common: Provide
| Give this to | Provide | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ɡɪv ðɪs tuː//🇺🇸 //ɡɪv ðɪs tu// | 🇬🇧 //prəˈvaɪd//🇺🇸 //prəˈvaɪd// |
| Meaning | Hand this over to someone. | To give something that is needed. |
| Example | Please give this to your brother when you see him. | The charity will provide food for the homeless. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| CEFR level | - | A2 |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | give this to someone, give something to a friend, give your attention to, give a gift to, give notice to | provide assistance, provide support, provide information, provide resources, provide care |
| Antonyms | - | withhold, deny, deprive |
| Common mistakes | Incorrectly omitting 'to' after 'give'., Confusing 'give' with 'give away' when not implying donation., Using 'give' with an indirect object without 'to'. | Confusing with 'supply' which has a slightly different scope., Using 'provide' without an object, which is incorrect., Using a wrong preposition; 'provide to' is less common than 'provide with'. |
| Usage notes | Use in casual and formal settings when asking someone to pass or hand over something. Avoid in very formal writing. | Use 'provide' when discussing giving something necessary or essential. Generally neutral but can be formal in legal contexts. |
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Frequently asked questions: Give this to vs Provide
What's the difference between Give this to and Provide?
Give this to: Hand this over to someone. Provide: To give something that is needed.
Which is more common: Give this to and Provide?
Provide is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Give this to: Please give this to your brother when you see him. Provide: The charity will provide food for the homeless.
Can I use Give this to and Provide interchangeably?
Not always. Give this to and Provide are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.