I have mixed up lie and lay on every grammar quiz I have ever taken. No more! I’m determined to nail these two bad boys!
First off, I made myself a chart. It helped me quickly see why I keep mixing them up: lay does double duty. Not only is it its own verb, it’s also the past tense of lie.
| Word | Verb Type | Definition | Conjugation | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| lay | transitive verb (must have a direct object) | To beat, set down, place, or bring forth | lay, laid, laid, laying | Hens lay eggs. My hen has laid many eggs. She laid three eggs on my couch yesterday. She is laying another one right now. |
| lie | intransitive verb (can’t have a direct object) | To rest or recline | lie, lay, lain, lying | Grammar gives me a headache. I need to lie down. Where should I lay? My couch is covered with eggs. Those eggs have lain there all day. They shouldn’t be lying on my couch. |
Now for the hard part—application! Choose the correct word for each sentence below. The secret to success is to first determine if the sentence has a direct object. Then determine what tense you need. Good luck!
1. I told my hen to ___ her eggs outside. (Hint: eggs are the direct object!)
2. My hen told me to go ___ down in the middle of the road. (Hint: no direct object for me!)
3. I told my hen that I’ve ____ in the middle of the road before.
4. I __ there for over an hour and I wasn’t hit by a single car. (Hint: double duty!)
5. My hen should try ____ her eggs in the road instead of on my couch.
6. If my hen had ____ her eggs on the road, I would be _______ on my couch right now.
Answers: lay, lie, lain, lay, laying, laid, lying
