Lay or Lie?

Back to the basics with regular Challenge winner, Ann Grover. Weekly lessons to help you hone your basic writing skills.

Moderators: RedBaron, itsjoanne, RedBaron, itsjoanne, RedBaron, itsjoanne

Post Reply
User avatar
Anja
Pencil 4 (150-199 Posts)
Pencil 4 (150-199 Posts)
Posts: 172
Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2005 4:20 am
Location: Canada

Lay or Lie?

Post by Anja »

This is the most difficult of all the irregular verbs, and if Jan has trouble, we are in good company.

Lay means to "set something down" or to "put something down."
Therefore, lay and its forms MUST take an object.

Simple present = lay(s).

The chickens lay four eggs. (Eggs = object.)
Sue lays the pie on the table. (Pie = object.)
Lay the blanket on the bed, please. (Blanket = object.)

Past tense = laid.

The chickens laid four eggs yesterday.
Sue laid the pie on the table.
I laid the blanket on the bed.

Past participle = laid. (With auxiliary.)

The chickens have laid four eggs today.
Sue has laid the pie on the table.
I have laid the blanket on the bed.

Present participle = laying. (With auxiliary.)

The chickens are laying four eggs.
Sue is laying the pie on the table.
I am laying the blanket on the bed.


Lie means "to recline" or "to stay / rest in a horizontal position."
"Lie" and its forms do NOT take an object.

Simple present = lie(s).

The chickens lie in the coop.
Sue lies on her chaise lounge.
The blanket lies on the the bed.

Past = lay. (Here's where it gets tricky, but just remember what your subject is doing. "Setting something down" or "resting"? Don't add "s" as you would for "lay-present tense.")

The chickens lay in the coop.
Sue lay on her chaise lounge.
The blanket lay on the bed.

Past participle = lain. (With auxiliary.)

The chickens had lain in the coop.
Sue has lain on her chaise lounge.
The blanket has lain on the bed.

Present participle = lying. (With auxiliary.)_

The chickens are lying in the coop.
Sue is lying on her chaise lounge.
The blanket is lying on the bed.


For more (and maybe better) explanations and quizzes, check out these sites.

http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/educat ... versus-lie

http://www.grammarmudge.cityslide.com/a ... 3/8992.htm

http://www.chompchomp.com/handouts/irregularrules02.pdf
Ann Grover Stocking

"What remains of a story after it is finished? Another story..." Eli Wiesel
glorybee
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 2356
Joined: Thu Nov 10, 2005 11:46 pm
Location: Michigan

Re: Lay or Lie?

Post by glorybee »

Thank you so much! Definitely printing that one out.

What a horrible, wonderful language we have.
Jan Ackerson -- Follow me, friend me, give me a wave!
http://www.superioreditingservice.com
Twitter: @janackerson1
Instagram: janackerson
Facebook: Jan Worgul Ackerson, Superior Editing Service, Jan Ackerson, writer
User avatar
oursilverstrands
Pencil Plus (Over 500 Posts)
Pencil Plus (Over 500 Posts)
Posts: 984
Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2010 9:21 pm
Location: Georgia
Contact:

Re: Lay or Lie?

Post by oursilverstrands »

This is definitely a keeper and worth printing out.

Thanks,

Lillian
When Youth Fades
Available at: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=when+youth+f ... nb_sb_noss/

Fortunate 500


I have a love affair with words. I write, even when I think I can't. I'm hooked on words!

"Let words bewitch you. Scrutinze them, mull them, savor them, and in combination, until you see their subtle differences and the ways they tint each other." Francis Flaherty
Post Reply

Return to “Ann's Grammar Basics”