Learn vs Teach Exercises

Learn and teach describe opposite sides of the same educational process. Learn is from the student's perspective — you learn something, meaning you gain knowledge or a skill: "I am learning English," "She learnt to drive last year." Teach is from the teacher's perspective — you teach someone something, meaning you give knowledge or skills to another person: "She teaches English at a secondary school," "My father taught me to ride a bicycle." The person who receives knowledge learns; the person who gives knowledge teaches.

A very common mistake, especially in spoken English, is using "learn" when "teach" is needed: "He learnt me to swim" is wrong — the correct form is "He taught me to swim." The grammar patterns are: learn + something / to do something / how to do something ("I'm learning how to cook") and teach + someone + something / to do something ("She teaches children to read"). The forms are: learn — learnt (or learned) — learnt, and teach — taught — taught (both irregular). In British English, "learnt" is preferred over "learned." Understanding this distinction is essential for A2 level communication and appears in Cambridge A2 Key speaking and writing sections.