GrammarPhile Blog

Lie or Lay? Get It Right Every Time

Posted by Terri Porter   Jul 6, 2016 7:30:00 AM

 

The lay vs. lie question frequently generates a lot of fireworks, so it seems an appropriate one to address following the Fourth of July.

Substituting lay (to place or arrange) for lie (to recline or be situated) is undoubtedly one of the most common usage errors in English. Why? Because, for one thing, the past tense of lie is lay. For another, lie can also mean to fib, and using the word correctly might lead to ambiguity in certain instances, as here: Eric is lying about the house.

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Topics: lie, lay, laying, misused words, lying

Lay and Lie -- Which is correct?

Posted by Phil Jamieson   Feb 21, 2012 5:30:00 AM

A common question we've received is about when to use "lay/lie/laid/laying". In this post we cover the differences.  Hope it helps to answer your questions.

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Topics: lie, lay, laid, laying, lain

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