Word Chest | Lose, Lost, Loose and Loss | Week 9

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Lose, Loose, Lost, loss

Uh?

If there was something else that was difficult to comprehend easily during my secondary school days apart from struggling with understanding Differences in mathematics, then it will be these three words “lose”, “loose” and “loss”. They sound almost alike and their spellings were usually mistaken for the other.

If you are like the younger me, then you do not have to worry anymore. Here is the trick to help you differentiate these words:

Lose – to cease to have something that was once in your possession or reach; to experience the demise of a loved one.
Lost – the simple past and past participle of lose.
Loose – for something to be less fitting as in a piece of clothing; to unfasten or loosen; to let go
Loss – defeat; destruction or ruin

To understand this better, you need to pay rapt attention to the pronunciations of these words, the part of speech they function in and most importantly, their meanings.

Let's begin!

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Lose

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Usage 1: Monica's mom gave her ₦3, 500 to purchase a tin of milk, two loaves of bread and a packet of cereal at a nearby supermarket. Before leaving for work, she instructed Monica to keep the money in a safe place so she will not lose it. Later in the afternoon, Monica discovered that she had misplaced the money her mom gave to her. Monica felt so sad because she had lost the money.

‘Lose,’ pronounced as looz (the same way you pronounce luz), is a verb used to indicate that someone is unable to find something. In the narration above, Monica misplaces the money given to her by her mother.

Usage 2: When people lose their way, this means that they wander far away from a place or they miss their way.

Examples:
a. The 2-year-old boy who lost his way during the stampede has been reunited with his grandparents.
b. Please, hold my hands, I don't want to lose you.

Usage 3: to have somebody of one's kin die. This is usually hurting.
Examples:
a. She is afraid of losing her sons to the war.
b. The man lost his wife and two daughters in an automobile crash.

• If a clock loses five minutes of its time, then it is said to be running slower than expected.

Other ways “lose” can be used
Weight: to shed weight
To be deprived of something like a job, position etc.
To fail or experience a defeat as in a game, competition etc.

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Lost

It is the past tense and past participle of the verb “lose”. When used in the past tense as seen in some examples above, then it indicates that the action happened in the past. The past participle, on the other hand, expresses that the action had been completed.
Examples:
a. She lost her dad at the age of five of (past tense)
b. Monica felt so sad because she had lost the money. (past participle)

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Loose

Pronounced as lus. It functions as a verb, adjective and sometimes, interjection.

Verb

• To make something less tight.
• To untie or release a person or animal. Who let the dog loose?
• To shoot or fire an arrow or a bullet.
  Example: The bandits loosed a volley of rifle fire.

Adjective

• Not fastened in place tightly or firmly as in a nail, screw, nut, tooth etc.
• Not solid e.g. a loose stool.
• Lacking control. A loose cow or bull is capable of committing a lot of havoc.
• (of clothing) not fitting close to the body.
  Example:
  Brian wears loose clothes when the weather is hot.

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Loss

Pronunciation: los
Unlike the other words discussed above, “loss” functions as a noun.
Note that verbs express an action, an occurrence or a state of being while nouns are words or set of words for a person, place, thing, or idea.

Meanings

1. Failure to keep or to continue to have something e.g. loss of sight, loss of appetite, loss of cognitive function.

2. The experience of having something taken from you or possibly destroyed.

3. The unbearable condition of having lost something or someone.
   We mourn her loss.

ACTIVITY

Practising what you have learned helps you gain full mastery of how to use the words. Do your research. Write a post or comment on this topic.
Let this be your guide.

• Identify the differences in these words.
• What part of speech do they function in?
• Use them APPROPRIATELY in at least two sentences.
• What new things have you learnt from this lesson?

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