Giving vs Given
Give is an English word that is used very commonly in spoken, as well as written English. Giving and given are two of its many forms that confuse the learners of the language. A lot of confusion is generated in the minds of listeners who cannot pick up the pronunciation and think of the other word when they hear of one of these words. Give means to donate or transfer though it also means to provide. The fact that these forms of give can become noun or adjective in different usage leads to confusion in the minds of the students. This article attempts to highlight the differences between giving and given.
Giving
Giving is an act of presenting or donating something to someone. To give is to place something in the hands of a person as in giving an object to someone. Giving refers to an act of bestowing, awarding, dispensing, offering, ceding, handing out, granting, transferring, imparting, presenting, etc. It is an act that is an antonym or opposite of getting or taking something.
The word giving is also used in giving up where the sense is to surrender or stop making efforts to achieve or put up a fight. Take a look at the following examples.
• I am giving a party in his honor
• He seemed to be giving in when brought under pressure
• He has this habit of giving gifts to the needy
Given
Many people confuse give in with given where give in means to surrender or to yield while given refers to an adjective that stands for something fixed or specified such as a given time or a given amount. In general though, given is a past participle of give and refers to an act of donating or handing over something. The adjective given refers to the fact that a person is known to have a peculiar quality such as given to making noises at the slightest of excuses or being prone to something. In math, given stands for a known quantity as in given A, B follows. Take a look at the following examples.
• I have given a shirt on his birthday
• He is a man given to make noises in all situations
• It is given that all people are equal in the eyes of the law
• You should have arrived at the given time
Giving vs Given
• Giving is a present tense of give whereas given is the past participle of give.
• Giving is an act of charity or generosity whereas given also stands for inclined or being prone to.
• Given is confused with giving as both have a similar pronunciation.
• Given also refers to a fixed quantity or a specific time.