Similarly, a person would “lay” a tablecloth on the table or, if going on a picnic, under a tree in the shade. The dinner guests might “recline” at the table, but they might also be lying. How do you think about the answers? She is a former newspaper journalist and author of the Foster Parent Diary Series for the New York Times. The mother might follow the child’s suit: She had lain down for a nap. Chief: Officer who shot Black couple in car is fired, Garner recalls 'circus' while being married to Affleck, Fla. city responds to armed security guards at polls, Stunning 70-inch TV hits all-time low price on Amazon, PGA golfer on Trump: 'He's like me and Jesus', Stimulus deal signed by Trump before election unlikely, GOP House candidate accused of racist attack, ‘Shy’ Trump voters will power his win, says pollster. I think its lie down, thats what i say anyway :), I always say lay. To lay is to set something down (other than your own body)..as in "I am going to LAY DOWN these books and answer the phone." The word “lie” means to “recline” or “be situated.” Unlike “lay,” the word does not take a direct object. Trump's debate grades improve, but did his odds to win? Laid is the past tense. Haha, just curious. The mother might follow the child’s suit: She had lain down for a nap. More language and grammar posts, please! In practice, many speakers inadvertently get the lay forms and the lie forms into a tangle of right and wrong usage. We've compiled our best resources. How come in society, a young man often gets kicked in the shins? . If you can’t straight-up memorize that rule, one popular mnemonic device for remembering the difference between “lay” and “lie” is to think of the phrase, “Lay it on me.” “Lay it on me” is a slangy way of saying, “Talk to me about it,” but it can also remind you that lay goes with an object (it). Lain is the past participle. Lie is the present tense. (should be lying); | he lay the books on the table (should be laid); | I had laid in this position so long, my arm was stiff (should be lain). The past tense of lie is lay, but not because there is any overlap between the two verbs. Everything you need to know about and expect during, the most important election of our lifetimes, Nintendo Switch - Animal Crossing: New Horizons Edition, Grammar Girl’s six-question Lay vs. The meaning of lie that you are referring to is to place oneself to a horizontal position right? Once in a while, you just feel like laying down to take a nap, right? The past participle of lie is lain: | she had lain on the bed for hours. Get the latest updates on PR, communications and marketing best practices. The farmer laid his tools on the workbench before going inside for breakfast. “Laid” as a past participle combines with forms of “have” and “be” and is written as “has laid” or “was laid.” While the word doesn’t often appear as a modifier of nouns and pronouns, past participles have that capability. I love this! Lie is the present tense. She has lain awake all night. Dear M Anonymous, The original question asked “Which is correct, ‘laying in the bed’ or ‘laying on the bed’?” Most of this answer will address the original question. Get your answers by asking now. OR Jack lay down on the bed as still as possible, trying not to cause further injury, I usually say "I'm going to lie down now. Is it lay? In the case of Julius Caesar, both facets of the word were more than likely true. I should lay the baby down in the crib. Write it down and display it near your computer or stick a Post-It Note to the bathroom mirror for a week to commit it to memory. You have just committed the (common) sin of mixing up your lays and your lies. No, you do not. Erin Feldman is director of editorial services at Tenacity5 and author of Write Right.Click here to get more of Erin’s grammar, marketing and PR tips. Metaphorically speaking. The words “lay” and “lie” may be the least favorite words of marketers who work for mattress firms or furniture stores. Lie Quiz. :). To lie is a verb..if you are putting your body on a bed, a couch, or any surface to rest, you are LYING DOWN, as in..."I am so tired I feel like lying down for a short nap!" Still have questions? But now what if you need to use the past tense or past participle of lay or lie? And laid is also the past participle. So when you say, “I lay down for a nap,” you’re actually using the verb lie, not lay, despite the way it sounds. Lay is the past tense. My college journalism professors would flunk a student's entire paper, project or assignment for ONE mistake such as using "lay" instead of "lie", etc. What is something you want but can't have? The two of you, going around and around trying to kill each other, when will you realize that your effort is pointless? The past tense of “lie” is the problematic one. See also usage at lie 1 . A blog for and about the media featuring trends, tips, tools, media moves and more. Once in a while, you just feel like laying down to take a nap, right? Join Yahoo Answers and get 100 points today. I don’t work in either one of those places, but I will go to exceedingly great lengths to find another word just so that I don’t have to endure the “lay” versus “lie” debate. it sounds more sophisticated when you say lie though. You lie down (no object) to get a good night’s rest. The main forms of “lie” are “lie,” “lay,” and “lain.” The child speaking of naptime would say, “I’m ready to lie down.” If the child just took an afternoon nap, he or she “lay” down for one. The word “lay” is always paired with an object; it means to put something down. I cannot help you memorize that; you simply have to practice using it a lot until it becomes second nature. The word itself has a few forms: lay (present tense), laid (past tense), and laid (past participle). “Laid” is the past tense of “lay,” which means it needs no other verbs but does still need an object: The chicken laid five eggs. I hate that educated people who know better have dumbed this down for America. Meghan is Lifehacker's Parenting Editor. The main forms of “lie” are “lie,” “lay,” and “lain.” The child speaking of naptime would say, “I’m ready to lie down.” If the child just took an afternoon nap, he or she “lay” down for one. In the case of the chicken, the farmer’s wife gathered the laid eggs and made omelets. I have laid the reports in the same spot each week. I see these two words used incorrectly ALL THE TIME in the news, on tv shows, and even in conversation among educated people. Then you can lay the whole thing to rest, once and for all.