The key to distinguishing between these words (‘life’, ‘live’, ‘lives’, ‘living’, and ‘alive’) lies in their usage and context.
“Life” and “lives” relates to existence — being alive, breathing, with “lives” being the plural form of “life.”
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “life” is explained as “the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body”; the period from an event until death.
Example:
We don’t know the origins of life; he’s starting a new life, he believes that God gives life to all creatures; she was happy and healthy for most of her life; life is beautiful to those who believe in it etc
The plural form of “life” is “lives.”
Example: The lives of these characters; many lives were lost in the car accident etc.
“Live” is a verb representing existence or experiencing life.
When used as a verb, “live” (pronounced as /liv/) signifies the act of experiencing life actively, engaging with the world around us. It can also denote inhabiting a specific place. Merriam-Webster defines “live” as “to be alive” or “to conduct or direct the life of.”
Example:
He lived four centuries ago; the young boy is advised not to live his life recklessly, the writer of NRTC English lives in Ibadan etc.
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As an adjective, “live” (pronounced as /laiv/ describes events or experiences that are occurring in real-time, rather than being pre-recorded or staged.
Examples: live match, live performance, live coverage, live music, live show.
- There is traditional live music played most nights.
- The audience was captivated by the band’s energetic live performance.
“Live” can also mean not dead or inanimate; living, as in live animals, live cow/goat/fowl.
“Living” serves as both an adjective and a gerund (a verb form functioning as a noun), relating to existence.
Adjective: As an adjective, “living” characterizes things that are currently alive or in an active state of existence.
Example: streams of living water; living creatures; in living memory; the living image of; living proof, etc
Gerund (Noun): In its gerund form, “living” functions as a noun, representing the process and condition of being alive.
Example: She was struggling to make a living as a dancer; the benefits of living in Nigeria, etc
“Alive” is an adjective that emphasizes the state of living, responsive, and having vital signs.
It indicates (of a person, animal, or plant) living, breathing not dead).
Example: The survivors were overjoyed to discover a lost dog alive and well after days of searching; after the accident, they found that the man is still alive (not dead, breathing)
