Blast from the Past: What is the difference between "lie" and "lay"?
skroberts did a really great job of describing the grammatical difference between lie, which never takes an object, and lay, which always takes an object, in the original lie/lay post. Here are a few more tips for remembering the difference, with some help from our friends from Due South.
To put the difference in terms of the classic journalism questions ...
Lie is never who or what, and always where or how:Dief lies down on the rug, eyeing the bed longingly. (lie where)
Ray lies meekly awaiting the doctor, after the nurse's threats. (lie how)
Fraser lies awake on his bedroll, staring at the stars. (lie how where)
Lay always has a who or what, even if there's also where or how:Welsh lays a stack of paperwork on the desk. "Have fun, Vecchio." (lay what where)
Fraser lays the child gently on the ambulance gurney. (lay who how where)
One place to develop an ear for the difference is in the imperative (giving an order). Whether Fraser is talking to Dief, or Frannie's rambunctious kids, or an injured Ray, the correct version is always, "Lie down!"
There is no such phrase as "Lay down." (Yes, this grammarian cringes when she hears half the dog owners in America!) It's always, "Lay down [what]!" "Lay down your weapons!" "Lay down the law." "Lay your weary head to rest."
Likewise, there's no such thing as "laying around," ever. Frannie can stay busy laying boxes of doughnuts around the bullpen (laying [what] around), but once Dief gorges on sugared pastry, he'll be lying around.
Here is a visual way to remember the difference:
Lie has an I. I just looks like an independent individual, doesn't it? Use it when an individual (person or thing) moves to rest, or is in a state of rest, independent of anyone else.Fraser lies down on the bedroll next to Ray's.
His father's journal lies undisturbed in his duffel.
Fraser is lying down-no one else set him on that bedroll. The journal is lying there all by itself. Maybe that morning Fraser put the journal there, or maybe Ray did, but no one is acting on it anymore.
Lay has an A. A just looks like the arms of someone laying something down, doesn't it?"Lay down your weapons, or I'll be forced to kick you in the head!"
Just picture that bank robber lowering his guns and holding them carefully out to either side so the cops won't shoot. Or picture Fraser's arms as he lays the child on the gurney-they make an A shape.
Does it seem easier to differentiate the two? Sorry, it's still tricky, because the past tense of lie is lay and that just confuses everything.
skroberts' post gives you a list of both verbs in all the tenses. When you're checking for which one to use, you have to test it in the present (lie/lay) or present progressive tense (is lying/is laying). (Yes, lying is spelled with a y, but it sounds like an i, so the mnemonic tricks should still work.) Once you've figured out which verb you are using, then pick the tense for that verb to match the rest of your story.
Once you get used to the correct verbs, it will start coming more easily!
To put the difference in terms of the classic journalism questions ...
Lie is never who or what, and always where or how:Dief lies down on the rug, eyeing the bed longingly. (lie where)
Ray lies meekly awaiting the doctor, after the nurse's threats. (lie how)
Fraser lies awake on his bedroll, staring at the stars. (lie how where)
Lay always has a who or what, even if there's also where or how:Welsh lays a stack of paperwork on the desk. "Have fun, Vecchio." (lay what where)
Fraser lays the child gently on the ambulance gurney. (lay who how where)
One place to develop an ear for the difference is in the imperative (giving an order). Whether Fraser is talking to Dief, or Frannie's rambunctious kids, or an injured Ray, the correct version is always, "Lie down!"
There is no such phrase as "Lay down." (Yes, this grammarian cringes when she hears half the dog owners in America!) It's always, "Lay down [what]!" "Lay down your weapons!" "Lay down the law." "Lay your weary head to rest."
Likewise, there's no such thing as "laying around," ever. Frannie can stay busy laying boxes of doughnuts around the bullpen (laying [what] around), but once Dief gorges on sugared pastry, he'll be lying around.
Here is a visual way to remember the difference:
Lie has an I. I just looks like an independent individual, doesn't it? Use it when an individual (person or thing) moves to rest, or is in a state of rest, independent of anyone else.Fraser lies down on the bedroll next to Ray's.
His father's journal lies undisturbed in his duffel.
Fraser is lying down-no one else set him on that bedroll. The journal is lying there all by itself. Maybe that morning Fraser put the journal there, or maybe Ray did, but no one is acting on it anymore.
Lay has an A. A just looks like the arms of someone laying something down, doesn't it?"Lay down your weapons, or I'll be forced to kick you in the head!"
Just picture that bank robber lowering his guns and holding them carefully out to either side so the cops won't shoot. Or picture Fraser's arms as he lays the child on the gurney-they make an A shape.
Does it seem easier to differentiate the two? Sorry, it's still tricky, because the past tense of lie is lay and that just confuses everything.
skroberts' post gives you a list of both verbs in all the tenses. When you're checking for which one to use, you have to test it in the present (lie/lay) or present progressive tense (is lying/is laying). (Yes, lying is spelled with a y, but it sounds like an i, so the mnemonic tricks should still work.) Once you've figured out which verb you are using, then pick the tense for that verb to match the rest of your story.
Once you get used to the correct verbs, it will start coming more easily!