Raise vs. Rise

RAISE a toast! Use an object with RAISE....toast is the object.

Sit and rise have I's--and lie does too.
"Coz these are things that I, all by myself, can do.
Set, raise, and lay are words that you choose
When each one has an object after it to use.

I like to start with the simplest Wacky Word pair—RAISE AND RISE--though I have often thought sit/set was the easiest pair because all of the set forms are the same. However, raise and rise are less often misspoken or mis-written, so I have changed my thoughts on this. 

Remember these RISE and RAISE tips:

1. Rise has an I—and I alone can do it (it is not done TO something else).
1. I RISE early.
2. Yesterday I ROSE early.*
3. Before that I had RISEN early.

*Just think I RISE early, and Rose ROSE early...

2. RISE means to head upward—anybody or anything can rise, as long as it does it by itself (i.e. it is NOT RAISED)
1. The sun ROSE early...all by itself.
2. I RISE before dawn (not really!).
3. They are RISING up in protest.
4. She has RISEN from that position one time.
5. They are RISING in honor of the king. 
6. We have to wait for the bread to RISE.

3. RAISE does not have an I (first)—it is done TO something.
4. RAISE must have an object following it—something that it is being RAISED.
1. RAISE the flag..
2. Did he RAISE a toast?
3. They will not RAISE the drawbridge today.
4. She had some definite opinions to RAISE at the meeting.
5. The kids RAISED a raucous to get attention.
6. We RAISED our voices in protest.
7. How much money did we RAISE?

5. RAISE is the same base word for all of its tenses: RAISE, RAISE, RAISED, RAISING.  That is why I recommend teaching this Wacky Word pair first (of the three), along with the fact that people do not usually say, "I rose my glass for a toast," so it is more familiar, thus making it easier to learn (going from the known to the unknown, the familiar to the unfamiliar).

Okay…the tenses for the pair:

1, RISE

            a. Base form: RISE—Today I RISE early.  (Remember—no object; early is an adverb here, not an object.

            b. Past simple: ROSE—Yesterday I ROSE early..

            b. Past participle: RISEN—Before that, I had RISEN early.

            d. Third person singular: RISES—He RISES early.

            e. Present participle/gerund: RISING—I was RISING early.

2. RAISE

1. Base form: RAISE—Today I RAISE my voice in the meeting.  (Object—voice)
2. Past simple: RAISED—Yesterday I RAISED my voice in the meeting.
3. Past participle: RAISED—Before that I HAD RAISED my voice in the meeting.
4. Third person singular: RAISES—She RAISES her voice in the meeting.
5. Present participle/gerund: RAISING—I am RAISING my voice in the meeting.