Know Your English (June 2001)

Know your English

What is the difference between ``present''and a ``gift''?

Many of us tend to use the two words interchangeably in most contexts. Of the two, ``present'' is the more informal. The two words are used with things given to other people without expectation of return or compensation. It is not uncommon to hear people say, ``I gave him a gift/present on his birthday''. Both the sentences are grammatically acceptable. Careful users of the language make a distinction between the two words. A ``gift'' tends to be much more `valuable' than a present. It usually passes from the rich to the poor, from the high to the low. A ``present'', on the other hand, passes between equals or from the inferior to the superior.
* The children brought a present for the Minister.
* I gave him a pen as a present.
* The foundation is planning to gift the land to the society.
* He made a gift of two million dollars to his old university.
The word `gift' is also used with the inborn talent or skill that one has. It is because God is believed to have given us these things - we are getting something from a superior being! Picasso had the gift of painting, M.S has the gift of singing, etc. We do not, in these cases, use the word `present'.


Source:
The Hindu daily, Tuesday, June26, 2001