{"id":6663,"date":"2023-11-12T09:29:06","date_gmt":"2023-11-12T14:29:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/?p=6663"},"modified":"2024-07-16T14:19:50","modified_gmt":"2024-07-16T19:19:50","slug":"lay-or-lie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/lay-or-lie\/","title":{"rendered":"Lay vs. Lie (+ Laid, Lain, Lied)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/J8VjdCAg5Bk?si=YQu_-mOGRqOVMdkM?rel=0\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/center>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><center><a class=\"elementor-button rounded large blue\" href=\"https:\/\/courses.espressoenglish.net\/600-confusing-english-words-explained-e-book\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>600+ Confusing English Words Explained<\/strong><\/a><\/center><br \/>\nWondering when to use<strong> lie vs. lay?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Should we say someone is <strong>\u201claying down\u201d<\/strong> or <strong>\u201clying down\u201d<\/strong>?<\/p>\n<p>And what about <strong>lied<\/strong>, <strong>laid,<\/strong> and <strong>lain<\/strong>?<\/p>\n<p>It can be so confusing, especially for students learning the English language!<\/p>\n<p>Today we\u2019ll learn the difference between lay and lie, as well as all forms of these two words, with plenty of examples. My goal is to make it clear for you &#8211; I hope you&#8217;ll find that it makes sense by the end of this lesson.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s also why I wrote an e-book called <a href=\"https:\/\/courses.espressoenglish.net\/600-confusing-english-words-explained-e-book\/\"><strong>600+ Confusing English Words Explained!<\/strong><\/a> It\u2019s full of clear explanations and examples helping you understand the difference between words that lots of English learners mix up &#8211; like specially and especially, advice and advise, and many, many more.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/courses.espressoenglish.net\/600-confusing-english-words-explained-e-book\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-20576 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/600cw-small-243x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"243\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/600cw-small-243x300.png 243w, https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/600cw-small.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 243px) 100vw, 243px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4>Lay vs. Lie<\/h4>\n<p>Both of these words refer to the action of putting something down on a surface, or an object\/person\/animal resting on a surface.<\/p>\n<p>However,<span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong> lay<\/strong><\/span> has a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grammarly.com\/blog\/direct-object\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">direct object<\/a> and <span style=\"color: #000080;\"><strong>lie<\/strong> <\/span>does not.<\/p>\n<p>A direct object is the thing that &#8220;receives&#8221; the action of the verb.<\/p>\n<p>When you put a book on the table, you <strong>lay the book down.<\/strong> (&#8220;book&#8221; is the direct object)<\/p>\n<p>But when you put your body horizontally on the bed or sofa, you <strong>lie down.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you are putting various photos onto a table, you would be <strong>laying <\/strong>the photos on the table (&#8220;photos&#8221; is the direct object)<\/p>\n<p>You can say that this cat is <strong>lying<\/strong> on the piano:<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-22880 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/pexels-cottonbro-studio-6853304-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"lay vs. lie - the cat is lying on the piano\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/pexels-cottonbro-studio-6853304-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/pexels-cottonbro-studio-6853304.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>A more technical way to say it is that <strong>lay\u00a0<\/strong>is a &#8220;transitive verb&#8221; (meaning it has a direct object) and <strong>lie\u00a0<\/strong>is an &#8220;intransitive verb&#8221; (meaning it has no object).<\/p>\n<h4>Lay down or Lie down?<\/h4>\n<p>One reason for the confusion is that many native English speakers do say \u201cI\u2019m not feeling well; <strong>I need to lay down<\/strong>\u201d to talk about putting one&#8217;s body in a flat position. The truth is that \u201c<strong>I need to lie down<\/strong>\u201d would be more correct, because the action is something I\u2019m doing myself; nobody is doing it to me.<\/p>\n<p>Or if they notice someone looks sick, they might ask the person \u201cDo you want to lay down?\u201d when again, it should be \u201cDo you want to lie down?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the present, it should always be \u201clay <em>something<\/em> down,\u201d as in our example when I lay <em>the book<\/em> down on the table &#8211; but informal, everyday English sometimes doesn\u2019t follow grammar rules perfectly!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22881\" src=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/lay-down-lie-down.jpg\" alt=\"laying down vs lying down\" width=\"400\" height=\"268\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/lay-down-lie-down.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/lay-down-lie-down-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Lay vs. Lie Chart<\/h4>\n<p>Now that you know the basic difference between lay and lie, let\u2019s look at their forms in different verb tenses:<\/p>\n<table border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\"><b>Present Tense<\/b><\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\"><b>Present Participle<\/b><\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\"><b>Past Tense<\/b><\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\"><b>Past Participle<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\">Lay<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\">Laying<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\">Laid<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\">Laid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\">Lie<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\">Lying<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\">Lay<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\">Lain<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>We have LAY in the present tense, LAYING in the present participle, LAID in the past tense, and LAID in the past participle.<\/p>\n<p>We have LIE in the present, LYING in the present participle (note that we spell it LYING, not LIEING), LAY in the past tense &#8211; yes! The past tense of \u201clie\u201d is \u201clay\u201d &#8211; and LAIN in the past participle.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s look at some example sentences &#8211; first with <strong>lay<\/strong>. The direct object is underlined:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I always <strong>lay<\/strong> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">the folded clothes<\/span> on the bed.<br \/>\n<em>(simple present tense)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>We dried the towels by <strong>laying<\/strong> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">them<\/span> flat in the sun.<br \/>\n<em>(present participle after a preposition)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>He carefully <strong>laid<\/strong> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">the baby<\/span> down in the crib.<br \/>\n<em>(simple past tense)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22883\" src=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/baby-in-crib.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"279\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/baby-in-crib.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/baby-in-crib-300x209.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Now some examples with <strong>lie:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>My kids are tired and they want to <strong>lie<\/strong> down.<br \/>\n<em>(simple present tense)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Your umbrella is <strong>lying<\/strong> over there, by the door.<br \/>\n<em>(present continuous)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Last night I <strong>lay<\/strong> awake in bed for hours.<br \/>\n<em>(simple past tense)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>Unopened letters have <strong>lain<\/strong> on his desk for weeks.<br \/>\n<em>(present perfect tense, using the past participle)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22882\" src=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/letters-on-desk.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"267\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/letters-on-desk.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/letters-on-desk-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Lie: Two definitions + Examples<\/h4>\n<p>You might be thinking, \u201cwait, then when do we use \u2018lied\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s because the verb LIE has two meanings:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Lie \u2013 something being on a surface<\/strong><br \/>\nEx) The cat is lying on the piano.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lie \u2013 say something false, say something that is not true<\/strong><br \/>\nEx) He said he got a good grade, but he\u2019s lying. He actually failed the test.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These two forms of the verb LIE have different forms in the simple past and past participle!<\/p>\n<table border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\"><b>Present Tense<\/b><\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\"><b>Past Tense<\/b><\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\"><b>Past Participle<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\">Lie<br \/>\n(something on surface)<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\">Lay<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\">Lain<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\">Lie<br \/>\n(say something<br \/>\nthat isn&#8217;t true)<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\">Lied<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"160\">Lied<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>When we have <strong>lie<\/strong> (meaning something being on a surface, as we\u2019ve been talking about in this lesson), then the simple past form is <strong>lay<\/strong> and the past participle is <strong>lain<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>But when we have <strong>lie<\/strong> (meaning to say something that\u2019s not true), then the simple past form is <strong>lied<\/strong> and the past participle is also <strong>lied<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>So in the past tense, we would say:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>She got a sunburn after she <strong>lay<\/strong> on the beach for hours.<br \/>\n<em>(rested on a surface)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>David <strong>lied<\/strong> about his final test grade last semester.<br \/>\n<em>(said something untrue)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22885\" src=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/sunbathe.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/sunbathe.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/sunbathe-300x273.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>Review of lay vs. lie:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Lay<\/strong> has a direct object, <strong>lie<\/strong> does not. We lay the books down. We lie down on the couch.<\/li>\n<li>Informally, many people still say \u201clay down\u201d for putting your body in a horizontal position, even though \u201clie down\u201d is technically correct.<\/li>\n<li>The forms of the verbs are <strong>lay, laying, laid,<\/strong> and <strong>laid<\/strong>, and <strong>lie, lying, lay,<\/strong> and <strong>lain<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Lie meaning not telling the truth has different forms: <strong>lie, lying, lied,<\/strong> and <strong>lied<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Check out my e-book on 600+ confusing words explained so you can learn lots more!<\/p>\n<p>And now, to make sure you understand the difference between lay and lie and you\u2019ll remember it, go ahead and write a couple sentences of your own using each verb. That\u2019s your homework for today.<\/p>\n<p><em>Learn more: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/canceled-or-cancelled-traveled-or-travelled\/\">Canceled or cancelled? Traveled or travelled?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"alert\">\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000080;\">Clear up your doubts about confusing words&#8230; and use English more confidently!<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/courses.espressoenglish.net\/600-confusing-english-words-explained-e-book\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-19980 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/600cw-new-headphones.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"452\" height=\"558\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/600cw-new-headphones.png 681w, https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/600cw-new-headphones-243x300.png 243w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 452px) 100vw, 452px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><center><a class=\"elementor-button rounded large blue\" href=\"https:\/\/courses.espressoenglish.net\/600-confusing-english-words-explained-e-book\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Click here to learn more about this e-book<\/strong><\/a><\/center><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; 600+ Confusing English Words Explained Wondering when to use lie vs. lay? Should we say someone is \u201claying down\u201d or \u201clying down\u201d? And what about lied, laid, and lain? It can be so confusing, especially for students learning the English language! Today we\u2019ll learn the difference between lay and lie, as well as all [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22886,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[13],"class_list":["post-6663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-confusing-words-2","tag-confusing-words"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Lay vs. Lie (+ Laid, Lain, Lied) - Espresso English<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Wondering when to use lie vs. lay? 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