22/4/2019 Laying vs. Lying (Lay vs.

Lie)—Learn It Easily | Grammarly

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Laying vs. Lying (Lay vs. Lie)–What’s the

Difference?
What’s the difference between lay and lie?

You lie down, but you lay something down. Lie does not require a direct object. Lay

Shundalyn Allen requires a direct object. The same rule applies to laying and lying (not lieing—beware
WRITING of spelling). The past tense of lay is laid, but be careful with the past tense of lie—
there are two options. We’ll dive into them later.

When to Use Lay

To lay is to set (or otherwise place) something in a resting position. Here are a few
examples of lay in a sentence.

Example I don’t like to lay my purse on the floor.

Example The dogs always lay their toys next to their water bowls.

How to Use Lie

A lie is an untruth. However, it’s the verb form of lie that people find difficult to
distinguish from lay. The verb lie means to tell a falsehood. Here’s an example of lie
in a sentence:

Example Sometimes children lie to get out of trouble.

If to tell an untruth were the only meaning of lie, using these two words properly
would be less of a challenge. However, lie can also mean to recline or to rest in a flat
position. Notice this example:

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22/4/2019 Laying vs. Lying (Lay vs. Lie)—Learn It Easily | Grammarly
Example The fat cat likes to lie in the sun.

How to Remember the Difference between Lay and Lie

(pLAce) and (recLIne)

This mnemonic should help you remember that lay, which begins with the letters L-A,
has a long A sound like its definition: to place. On the other hand, lie, which starts
with the letters L-I, has a long I sound like its definition: to recline.

How Should I Use Lay vs. Lie?

Knowing what the words mean doesn’t mean you necessarily know how to use lay
and lie. Again, here are a few rules to help you. In the present tense, you often use a
direct object with lay. However, lie can’t take a direct object. Look back at the
examples again to see these rules in play.

There’s still one more thing you need to know. When you are talking about reclining,
the past tense of lie is lay! Here’s an example.

Yesterday, he lay down to sleep at ten o’clock. Tonight, he won’t lie down until
midnight.[/example]

Laying Vs. Lying

Beware of spelling! The present participle of lie is not lieing. The I becomes a Y: lying.
Here is a mnemonic from the website Primility to help you tell laying and lying apart:

“If you tell an untruth it is a lie, not a lay; and if you are in the process of telling an
untruth you are lying and not laying.”

Example The delivery boy took pleasure in gingerly laying each newspaper on the stoop.

Example I can always tell when my friend is lying because she bites her lip.

Example I spend rainy days lying on my couch.

Example Don’t leave dirty clothes lying around the house.

The past tense of lie (as in, to tell an untruth) is lied. As you can see, the past tense of
lie is lay, but the past tense of lay is laid, which is a recipe for confusion! To
remember that laid (as opposed to lain) is the past tense of lay, just memorize this
phrase:

Use a D when there is a direct object. Because you need a direct object only with lay,
you will know that the past tense is laid.

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22/4/2019 Laying vs. Lying (Lay vs. Lie)—Learn It Easily | Grammarly

Examples

Example I would like to lie next to him in the dark and watch him breathe and watch
him sleep and wonder what he’s dreaming about and not get an inferiority
complex if the dreams aren’t about me.
Rachel Cohn, Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Example Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give
milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run
fast enough to catch rabbits.
George Orwell, Animal Farm

Did the examples help you figure out the difference between lay and lie? If you have
mastered this commonly confused pair, try your hand at loose vs. lose and entitled
vs. titled.

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