This problem has bugged me for a while. It pops up while reading friends’ manuscripts and while writing my own: when to use lay versus lie.
Do you lay down for a nap or lie down for a nap? (Frankly, I’m jealous if you nap at all!)
Do you lay down the pencil or lie down the pencil? (Okay, that one is easier for me to judge.)
Time to research the grammar once and for all. I consulted my trusty Grammatically Correct, by Anne Stilman, for help. The situation is a bit confusing; stay with me.
First, you must understand the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs.
- Transitive verbs act on a named object. (Hint: they transfer an action to an object. Thanks Grammar Girl.)
- I like cookies. Sarah will bring fruit.
- Intransitive verbs are complete by themselves.
- I run. She sings.
Now, we can apply that to lay and lie.
- Lay, to set something down, is a transitive verb and requires an object.
- Lay the box down on the desk, please.
- Lie, to be in a horizontal position literally or figuratively, is an intransitive verb. The action is complete itself.
- I want to lie down for ten minutes.
Seems straightforward, right? Well, we haven’t mentioned past tense yet.
- The past tense of lay is laid. (Many think it is lay.)
- She laid the box on the table
- The past participle is also laid. (Many think it is lain. Nope.)
- She had laid the money on the counter.
- The past tense of lie is lay. (Carumba, here comes the messy part.) Many people use laid for past tense lie, but that’s not correct.
- I lay on the sofa for an hour yesterday.
- The past participle is lain, not laid.
- I had lain on the sofa for a while before he came home.
Are you still with me? Let’s practice and see. Choose the correct verb. I’ll put the answers at the end of the post. No peeking!
Word Nerd Workout
- I’m going to lay/lie in the sun this afternoon.
- She laid/lay the money on the counter before she left for school this morning.
- Yesterday, Ella lay/laid down for a three hour hap.
- The dog had lain/laid in the sun for hours, so her coat felt warm.
- Edmund prefers to lie/lay low and avoid social conflict.
Got it?
Thanks for getting nerdy with me.
Julia
Answers:
- lie
laylaid (A bright reader, who happens to be 11, caught my error. Really, I just wanted to see who was paying attention 😉 I wish! Thanks Andersons!)- lay
- lain
- lie
This particular question is my Achilles heel. I’m bookmarking this one! 😀
Have faith Lisa! I bet you can get it. Writing a post about it has helped me a lot. Remember that hens lay eggs and dogs lie down and hope the past tense doesn’t come into play. 😉
Hah – it’s the past tense that kills me every time! 😀
Yay – I got 100%. I just looked this up last week – I wanted to say “I lay down with my children” and I couldn’t remember the past tense of lie, or even if “lie” was correct. I may have to look it up again, but reading this helped me remember a little more. Thanks Julia!
Happy to help 😉
I always overthink this one and end up making mistakes. I usually just find a way to use a different word 🙂
Unfortunately, me too! I may have been the guilty writer with these problems in her manuscript. You’ll be happy to know that I’m writing an A&P test and was having problems with a question:
What endocrine organs lie atop the kidneys? Is that right??? I’m inclined to switch the very to “sit” to avoid being incorrect 🙂
You’ve probably finished writing the test by now, but I think you’re correct. In your example, “lie” works as an intransitive verb; the organs are not doing an action to something else.
And, are those organs the adrenal glands? (Just testing my old anatomy knowledge. My son competes on an academic team, and I’m a terrible audience member because I keep trying to play – in whispers- at my seat! #nerd.)
This is one I always have to stop and think about before I choose the word. I know the rules, but I need to rehearse them in my head before writing the correct one. Every time.
Thanks Dianne for making me feel not so foolish. 😉
Doesn’t matter how many times I read and re-learn the rules for this one, lay/lie is one I always have to look up. The various forms are just so darn similar! I know, how embarrassing – an English major and former English teacher and I can’t get it right. But I’m a firm believer in using whatever resources you have in life to help you along. So if I have to look up lay/lie for the rest of my life, so be it. In the meantime, I’ll keep practicing.
No shame in looking things up and making sure you’re correct. Truly wise people aren’t afraid to ask questions and learn more. (Or admit their mistakes… I had one of my workout questions wrong!)