Saturday, January 31, 2009
[grammar corner] lay and lie
Lay or Lie?
• Lay means "to place something down." It is something you do to something else. It is a transitive verb.
lay – laid – laid - laying
• Lie [1] means "to recline" or "be placed." It does not act on anything or anyone else. It is an intransitive verb.
lie – lay – lain - lying
• Lie [2] means "to tell an untruth" or "to tell a lie". It does not act on anything or anyone else. It is an intransitive verb.
lie – lied – lied - lying
• Layed is a misspelling and does not exist. Use laid instead.
Which is the correct variant in each case?
1. You’ve been lying/laying on that bed all day!
2. She lied/laid to me about how much money she’d spent.
3. Whenever chickens lay/lie eggs, we eat.
4. He has lied/lie to you from the very first day.
5. He lay/laid on the bed and thought about his life.
6. Are you going to lie/lay on that bed all day?
7. Having laid/layed the books on the table, he sat down.
8. Having laid/lain in bed all day, he decided finally to get up.
9. By lying/laying the baby on the bed, she would have her hands free.
10. He has been laying/lying to you about his second wife.
11. Having laid/layed the baby on the bed, she had her hands free.
12. Do not lay/lie to me about the crime you committed!
Answers next posting day.
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Teaching your grammar to suck eggs?
ReplyDeleteI had to check back with your information to get number 5 right.
ReplyDeleteYou see I am assuming the others were right!
ReplyDeleteI think I got them all right ;-)
ReplyDeleteBut is Bob Dylan right in this song? :-)
ReplyDeletehttp://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VfF0uHekcc8
Sackers - :)
ReplyDeleteLiz - interesting assumption.
Cherie - well done.
Gallimaufry - good question that.