Learn English Grammar, Vocabulary
Practical English Usage, Writing
Grammar terms and Speaking

Reference Desk
Home
English Grammar
Practical English Usage
Grammatical Terms
English Writing
Vocabulary
English Speaking
Business English
TOEFL
IELTS

Interactive Pages
English grammar and vocabulary exercises

 

 

Lay and Lie

Lay means 'put down something carefully' or 'put down something flat'. It always takes an object.

  • She laid the books on the table.

    • Lay is a regular verb. Its forms are:

    Infinitive: to lay
    Present Participle: laying
    Past: laid
    Past participle: laid
    Present singular: lays

    Lie

    Lie means 'be down' or 'be placed flat on a surface'. It is an irregular verb. Its forms are:

    Infinitive: to lie
    Present Participle: lying
    Past: lay
    Past participle: lain (formal)
    Present singular: lies

  • She was lying on the sofa.
  • A book lay open on the table.
  • Don't lie in the bed all day.

    • There is also a regular verb lie. It means 'say something that is not true'. Its forms are:

    Infinitive: to lie
    Present Participle: lying
    Past: lied
    Past Participle: lied
    Present singular: lies

  • He lied about his age in order to get into the army.

    •  

    Search the Dictionary of Practical English Usage

    A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M|N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z
    Show Full Index

     

    Google