Lie or lay?
There are some words in the English language that are confusing not only to non-native speakers like me, but also to many native speakers.
An example I mentioned in a previous post is about i.e. and e.g.
Today I did some research and reading on lie and lay. I would like to share what I read and learned.
1. Understand the definition –
Lay means to put something [or someone] down. Lay is a transitive verb and requires a direct object.
Lie means to rest or recline. Lie is an intransitive verb, so no direct object will follow.
2. Know the correct verb form –
The following table is helpful in choosing the correct verb form:
| Infinitive | Definition | Simple Present | Simple Past | Past Participle | Present Participle |
| to lay | to put something down | lay(s) | laid | laid | laying |
| to lie | to rest or recline | lie(s) | lay | lain | lying |
What makes things more confusing and complicated is that “Lie” also has a different meaning - A false statement deliberately presented as being true. In this case “lie” also has different verb forms – to lie, lies, lied, lied, lying.
If I can remember these two important points, I will no longer be confused and should be able to use lie and lay correctly.
3. Examples -
Lie
Present tense: I lie down on my bed to rest my weary bones.
Past tense: Yesterday, I lay there thinking about what I had to do during the day.
Past participle: But I remembered that I had lain there all morning one day last week.
Lay
Present tense: As I walk past, I lay the tools on the workbench.
Past tense: As I walked past, I laid the tools on the workbench.
Past participle: . . . I had laid the tools on the workbench.
After I “lay” something down, it’s just “lying” there. It’s not doing anything to anyone or anything.
For more information, visit the following websites:
- http://hbpub.vo.llnwd.net/o16/video/olmk/Grammar_Girl.pdf
- http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/lay-versus-lie.aspx
- http://www.chompchomp.com/rules/irregularrules02.htm
- http://grammartips.homestead.com/lie.html
- http://web.ku.edu/~edit/lie.html
- http://www.communitelligence.com/blps/blg_viewart.cfm?bid=94&artID=713
Thanks for this blog post. Lie/Lay has been the grammatical thorn in my side since junior high. I never seem to remember how to use those words. Maybe I’ll print this out and pin it to my computer!
this may be one of the few times that i will agree with you. you are “right on” with this one. when i learned grammar (a long time ago), the distinction between lie and lay was taught in the way that you have stated. unfortunately, our usage has gotten very sloppy. as a result, most people (including journalists who should know better) now use lay when they should use lie. but that is not the only change (corruption) in language that has taken place in my lifetime: there is sneaked and snuck, much confusion is the use of pronouns such as she and here, he and him. I and me. the list goes on.