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“Lay” and “lie” sometimes get the best of even professional writers.  What’s the confusion?  As a society we use the words interchangeably in our everyday conversations.  The evolution of language has therefore led to some serious confusion when it comes to knowing when to use “lay” and when to use “lie.”  We hope that this Grammar Refresher clears up any uncertainty, but if not, feel free to email us at info@miss-ink.com with your questions.

Lay – Takes a direct object and is an action word.  The past tense is “laid” and the present participle is “laying.”

Example: Please lay the book on the table.

Lie – As defined by The Associated Press Stylebook, “lie indicates a state of reclining along a horizontal plane. It does not take a direct object.”  Past tense is “lay” and present participle is “lying.”

Example:  I want to lie by the pool.

Let’s try it out:

Which is correct?

A. I laid my keys on the table this morning.

B. I lay my keys on the table this morning.

The answer is “A” because “laid” is the past tense of “lay” and since the sentence takes a direct object, this is the correct choice.

Which is correct?

A. I am laying down.

B. I am lying down.

The answer is “B” because this sentence does not take a direct object and as the definition above states, “indicates a state of reclining along a horizontal plane.”

References:

Goldstein, Norm. The Associated Press Stylebook. New York: Basic Books, A Member of the Perseus Books Group, in cooperation with the Associated Press, 2004.

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