Lie vs. Lay
You will impress your family and friends with your grammar skills if you can distinguish between lie and lay. These words confuse even the best editors, so you pretty much have to memorize a chart and then practice to build your confidence.
Lie vs. Lay Chart
|
Present |
Past |
Past Participle |
|
|
To recline |
lie, lying |
lay |
has/have/had lain |
|
To put or place |
lay, laying |
laid |
has/have/had laid something |
|
To tell a falsehood |
lie, lying |
lied |
has/have/had lied |
Example of to recline in present tense: I lie down for a nap at two o’clock every day.
Same example as above in past tense: I lay down yesterday for a nap.
Same example as above with a participle: I have lain down every day this week.
Example of to put or place something in present tense: I lay the book down.
Same example as above in past tense: I laid the book down.
Same example as above with a participle: I have laid the book down.
Example of to tell a falsehood in present tense: I am tempted to lie about my weight.
Same example as above in past tense: I lied about my weight when I renewed my driver’s license.
Same example as above with a participle: I have lied about my weight each time I have renewed my driver’s license.
If you wish to respond to another reader's question or comment, please click its corresponding "REPLY" button. If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.
27 Comments on Lie vs. Lay
“The end of the day before you lay down.”
How is this correct or wrong? If you may.
There is no direct object in your sentence, and the sentence refers to an action that hasn’t yet happened; therefore, the sentence would apply the present-tense intransitive verb lie.
Would you care to explain how “lay low” is correct? Thank you.
I much appreciate the work you do. I hope it brings a lot of happiness to your life.
In regard to the idiom carrying the meaning of “hide out,” either lie low or lay low can be correct depending on the tense:
We will lie low today.
We lay low yesterday.
The phrase lay low is also correct in terms of overcoming an opponent.
He lay low his opponent with a combination of head and body blows.
I can see that the comma rules on your website have extra rules than your actual print book. An example would be rule 13 for commas. You have two extra letters on your website rules.
You may notice some differences between the contents of the GrammarBook.com website and the hard-copy book. We are able to update the website whenever we see an opportunity for improvement. However, specifically in regard to Rules 13a and 13b of Commas, the website and 11th edition of the book are the same. Perhaps you have an earlier edition. We are looking forward to a 12th edition of The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation that will come out in 2021.
“I know you want to lay down here and never get up again.”
“The fact… I’m laying here in your bedroom.”
I got these above two from movie subtitles. So, it’s not lie or lying?
Can you say “I lay back in calm,” or does it have to be “I lie back in calm”?
There is no direct object to use lay right? Lie has me feeling like lying down.
Do not trust movie dialogue or subtitles to always use correct grammar. You are correct that there are no direct objects in any of your examples; therefore, lie and lying are grammatically correct in your first two examples. In your last sentence lay could be correct if you are using the past tense.
Wow, thank you for such a wonderful page. The Blue Book Of Grammar and Punctuation is amazing. Thank you for supporting it. I will keep if for a lifetime until I know it by heart.
In the following sentence, I’m confused why it wouldn’t be “lay down” since “Kaysha asked” is in past tense.
“Kaysha asked if she could lie down in the nurse’s office.”
The auxiliary verb could is used in conjunction with the main verb lie. When an auxiliary verb is used, the spelling of the main verb does not change.
Can you say “…some day…..when the wolf lays down with the bear…”
Or is it “lies down”?
“Lies down” is correct.
What is the past progressive form of “lie”?
We were asked to write the past progressive form of “lie” in this sentence:
Alana _____________________ on the floor playing cards.
Our instructor told us the correct answer was “was lying”. Is this correct?
Yes.
That answer is incorrect. Even professors don’t always know the correct answer.
We remain on the side of the instructor. But we’d love to hear the reasoning behind your pronouncement if you can provide it.
Question. Is it, “He lays down in the graveyard” or “He lies down in the graveyard”? I am stumped with the plural in present tense. The more I read the more stumped I become. Thanks.
To recline in present tense: I/you/we/they lie. He/she lies.
I have lain down on the sofa all week.
I lay the cold washer over my hot forehead.
Am I grammatically correct?
Yes, your sentences are grammatically correct.
My 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Bolte, taught us this poem (a VERY long time ago: estimate 1960-1961):
Here I sit and
there you lie.
We are comfy
you and I.
But I am wondering
where to lay
this big book
or set this tray.
This is a clever way to help students learn and remember the difference between lie and lay.
The chart was a great idea; may I use it when tutoring a student?
What about an example of parallelism?
Yes, we think the chart would be a useful tool for tutoring.
If you mean parallel construction, please see our Rule 5 of Effective Writing.
The culprit for the confusion between lie and lay is our Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan with his song Lay, Lady, Lay!
You are correct that Bob Dylan did not help the case for good grammar with that song. Please see our September 26, 2016, blog Pop Tunes and Grammar for more.