G2-b: lie and lay
Writers and speakers frequently confuse the various forms of lie (meaning “to recline or rest on a surface”) and lay (meaning “to put or place something”). Lie is an intransitive verb; it does not take a direct object: The tax forms lie on the table. The verb lay is transitive; it takes a direct object: Please lay the tax forms on the table. (See B2-b.)
In addition to confusing the meaning of lie and lay, writers and speakers are often unfamiliar with the Standard English forms of these verbs.
| base form | past tense | past participle | present participle |
| lie (“recline”) | lay | lain | lying |
| lay (“put”) | laid | laid | laying |
The past-tense form of lie (“to recline”) is lay.
The past-participle form of lie (“to recline”) is lain. If the correct English seems too stilted, recast the sentence: The patient had been lying in an uncomfortable position all night.
The past-tense form of lay (“to place”) is laid.
The present participle of lie (“to rest on a surface”) is lying.