lie vs. lay

Lie means “to recline or rest on a surface”; lay means “to put or place something.”

Lie is an intransitive verb: It does not take a direct object.

Example sentence: The tax forms lie on the table.

Lay is transitive: It takes a direct object.

Example sentence: Please lay the tax forms on the table.

Here are the standard English forms of these verbs.

BASE FORM

PAST TENSE

PAST PARTICIPLE

PRESENT PARTICIPLE

lie

lay

lain

lying

lay

laid

laid

laying

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: By Friday, the stock market had fell two hundred points. Revised sentence: By Friday, the stock market had fallen two hundred points. Explanation: The word 'fell' has been replaced by 'fallen.'

The past-tense form of lie (“to recline”) is lay.

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: The patient had laid in an uncomfortable position all night. Revised sentence: The patient had lain in an uncomfortable position all night. Explanation: The word 'laid' has been replaced by 'lain.'

The past-participle form of lie (“to recline”) is lain. If the correct English seems too stilted, recast the sentence:

Example sentence: The patient had been lying in an uncomfortable position all night.

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: The prosecutor lay the pistol on a table close to the jurors. Revised sentence: The prosecutor laId the pistol on a table close to the jurors. Explanation: The word 'lay' has been replaced by 'laid.'

The past-tense form of lay (“to place”) is laid.

Example sentence with editing. Original sentence: Shelby turn in every paper late, but the instructor give her an extension every time. Revised sentence: Shelby turns in every paper late, but the instructor gives her an extension every time. Explanation: The word 'turn' has been replaced by 'turns,' and 'give' has been replaced by 'gives.'

The present participle of lie (“to rest on a surface”) is lying.

Exercises:

Irregular verbs 1

Irregular verbs 2

Irregular verbs 3