![]() ![]() Lie (intransitive verb) means: ‘to move into a horizontal position’. When building a house, we first need to lay the foundations.My parents cook dinner and I lay the table most evenings.I lay all my books out on the floor when deciding which ones to keep.I told John to lay the parcel down on the chair.Our chickens lay lots of eggs so we never buy them from the supermarket.The police laid five criminal charges on the suspect. The gambler laid all his money on a game of poker. Set expressions: lay something bare (to expose something completely), be laid up (to be inactive due to illness or injury), lay something to rest (to succeed in resolving an issue, emotional state or argument). Lay (transitive verb) means: ‘To put something on a surface carefully’. The dog lied in the bed again (incorrect).Some native speakers even use the past form of lie (‘to tell an untruth’) when they should use lay (the past of lie, as in ‘move into a horizontal position’). ![]() lie is: we lay something (somewhere), but we lie down somewhere (ourselves). ( incorrect)Īgain, even when we consider different tenses, the easiest rule to use when thinking about lay vs. There’s nothing better than laying in a hammock on holiday.There’s nothing better than lying in a hammock on holiday.Some people mistakenly use laying instead of lying. There are similar errors with the present participle. Ben layed down on the floor exhausted.( incorrect)Īnother common mistake that people make is to use the past tense of lay (laid) instead of the past tense of lie (lay) – some people even make lay into a regular verb by saying layed (incorrect form). The hamster always lays next to its wheel.The hamster always lies next to its wheel.Most of the confusion comes from the present form of lay (lay) being the same as the past form of lie (which is also lay!).īelow are some correct and incorrect ways to use lay and lie in the present and the past: Lie (present): The shop assistant has laid the sale items near the entrance. The correct way is to lay the fork to the left of the plate… Lay and lie can be more confusing when we look at them in different tenses: Time But most of the time there is a specific location. The gallery owner laid the drawings out for the client. *With lay, there is not always a somewhere that follows the something – e.g. The cleaner always lays the rug on the floor. When the subject sets an object down, use lay or laid.įollow this grammar rule of thumb, and you’ll be on your way to laying your words down properly.If direct objects and prepositions make your head hurt, try remembering these two patterns for lay and lie:.When the subject is putting itself into a horizontal position, use lie, lay, or lain.But for the most part, here’s what you should remember: So, yes, it can definitely get complicated. The past participle of lie is lain: “I had laid my keys on the coffee table, before I had lain down to read.” That means when you’re using a helping verb, like had, you’ll use laid instead of lay. That’s right, lay is a present tense verb, and it’s also the past tense of another verb: “I lie on the couch when I listen to music, and yesterday, I lay down on it for a nap.”īut wait, there’s more: Laid is not only the past tense of lay, but also the past participle of it. What’s confusing is that lay is the past tense of lie. Today, I lay my pen next to it.” That’s pretty straightforward. The past tense of the verb lay is laid: “Yesterday, I laid the book on the desk. So lie is when the subject performs the action, and lay is when the subject is acting on an object. Lay is used when the subject is putting or setting down the object of the sentence: “I lay down my pen when I type.” Lie is when the subject of the sentence is resting in a horizontal position: “I lie down to read.” Both of these verbs are present tense and have similar, but slightly different meanings. Here’s a grammar rule that confuses many: When do you use lay or laid? And what about lie?įirst, let’s talk about lie and lay.
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