Who never got confused when using “lay” It is “Lie”? It is very easy for us to use these verbs incorrectly, given that they have many similarities. In addition to having similar meanings, their verbal variations are also quite similar. So, how to differentiate them and know when to use each one of them? There are some usage structures that can help you choose and identify each of these verbs. Check out!
→ The definition of each of them:
The definition of each of them:
LAY: means to put something or someone down.
It means: to place something or someone in a horizontal position.
LIE: means to rest or recline.
It means to rest or recline.
Look:
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lay is a transitive verb and a direct object will come after it.
Lay is a transitive verb and is followed by a direct object. -
lie is an intransitive verb, so there isn’t object.
Lie is an intransitive verb, so there is no object.
Tips on using lay It is Read:
→ When you come across these verbs in a sentence, try to differentiate them by the direct object. If there isn’t, then it’s the verb «lie».
Examples:
“The beauty lies in finding where I belong.”
Don’t stop now… There’s more after the publicity 😉
“I can help you lay the coffee table.” (the coffee table is the direct object)
Another complication is that the past tense of the verb “lie” is exactly “lay” (infinitive form of the verb “lay”), so in a sentence with the past tense of the verb “lie”, it will look like this: «They were so tired that they lay to bed early last night.»
In cases like this, the best thing to do is check the tense and look for the direct object, which, in this case, is not present, since it is the verb “lie”.
→ Another form of differentiation is the other verbal variations:
The past participle of the verb “lie” is “lain”, and its gerund form is “lying”. In the verb “lay”, the past and past participle have the same form: “laid”. The gerund is “laying”.
→ As an aid to identifying them, we can change the verb lay per put and the verb lie per rest.
See the examples:
Everyday, Serena lays her books on the table. = serene puts her books on the table.
Be careful, don’t lie in the sun for too long. = remains in the sun.
By Janaina Mourao
Graduated in Letters – English