These two words (verbs) can be very confusing and people tend to use “lay”
incorrectly often—perhaps because “lie” has two main meanings? Perhaps
because “lay” sounds better? Perhaps because “lay” is also the past tense of
a form of “lie.” I am not sure. Below you can find the how-to for the lay/ lie
usages.
Lay 1. a transitive verb meaning put or prepare (most commonly—there
are other meanings)
-lay always needs a direct object, i.e./ you always lay something
(the object)
e.g./ I lay the pen down.
Gramma, will you lay the fire?
-the past tense of lay is laid (not layed)
e.g./ The plan that Joe laid was well designed.
NB: in the examples above, the object of “lay” is underlined.
Lie 1. lie is an intransitive meaning that it never takes an object
e.g./ Lie down and sleep.
-the past tense of “lie” is “lay” – which is where, I think, people
confuse the two words.
e.g./ He lay down to sleep.
-the past participle of “lie” is “lain”
e.g./ How can he sleep when he hasn’t yet lain down?
To further illustrate the differences between “lay” and “lie” and their
corresponding forms:
Jan laid (not lay) the pen down to listen to me. I asked her to lay (not lie) the
table for dinner. When she had finished, I noticed that she had laid (not layed or
lied) it for four people instead of five.
When Jan comes home from school each day, she gets a book and lies (not lays)
down. Today was no different, she lay (not laid) down and immediately fell asleep.
When her father called, she was still lying (not laying) on the couch. Sometimes
her father says that he thinks that she has lain (not laid) there all week!
Lie 2. lie is a verb meaning “to tell a falsehood”
e.g./ Don’t lie to your parents.
-the past tense of “lie” (in this meaning) is “lied”
e.g./ He lied to his parents.
-the present participle of “lie” is “lying”
e.g./ Jan was lying when she said she didn’t do it.
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