Grammar Lie vs. Lay |
The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation

Lie vs. Lay

To support your effort to solve lie vs. lay once and for all, we have prepared the following table. You can bookmark this page and revisit it whenever you find yourself stuck on lie vs. lay. With repetition and time, you may find yourself advancing from a lie vs. lay trainee to a lie vs. lay master.

As a starting guideline, remember that lie means either “to recline” or “to tell a falsehood.” It also is an intransitive verb (i.e., it does not take a direct object).

The verb lay means “to put or place.” It is a transitive verb (i.e., it takes a direct object).

Lie vs. Lay Usage Chart

Present

Past

Past Participle

To recline

lie, lying

lay

has/have/had lain

To put or place

lay, laying

laid

has/have/had laid something

To tell a falsehood

lie, lying

lied

has/have/had lied

Examples: lie (“to recline”)
I lie down for a nap at two o’clock each day. (present tense)
I am lying down for a nap at two o’clock today. (present tense)
Yesterday I lay down for a nap. (past tense)
I have lain down for a nap each day this week. (past participle)

Examples: lay (“to put or place”)
Lay the book on the desk, please. (present tense)
You are laying the book on the desk. (present tense)
You laid the book on the desk. (past tense)
You have laid the book on the desk. (past participle)

Examples: lie (“to tell a falsehood”)
I am tempted to lie about being late. (present tense)
I am lying about being late. (present tense)
I lied about being late. (past tense)
I have lied about being late. (past participle)

 

Pop Quiz

Reinforce your understanding of lie vs. lay by choosing the correct form of the verb in each sentence.

1. The foundation for the house has been [laid / lain] .

2. I really wish you would stop [laying / lying] about where you put the cookie jar.

3. If you’re looking for Sam, he’s [laying / lying] rolls of new sod in the backyard.

4. Why are all of you just [laying / lying] around when there’s so much work to be done?

5. That cat is known to have [laid / lain] on its favorite pillow for more than four hours straight.

 

Pop Quiz Answers

1. The foundation for the house has been laid.

2. I really wish you would stop lying about where you put the cookie jar.

3. If you’re looking for Sam, he’s laying rolls of new sod in the backyard.

4. Why are all of you just lying around when there’s so much work to be done?

5. That cat is known to have lain on its favorite pillow for more than four hours straight.




If the article or the existing discussions do not address a thought or question you have on the subject, please use the "Comment" box at the bottom of this page.

191 responses to “Lie vs. Lay

  1. Theresa says:

    Your information is useful but still does not answer the basic question. Is the book I laid on the table laying or lying. Is the cup I set near the sink setting or sitting? I would most appreciate having this matter clarified.

    • Jane says:

      The book is lying on the table.
      The cup is sitting near the sink.

    • Brian says:

      The book is lying on the table. Think of laying as the action of doing something to something else. After laying the book down, it is now lying there.

      Also here is another good example: I am lying down for a nap after laying my son down for his nap. He is finallly lying down and sleeping.

      • AB says:

        What is the past tense of “The book is lying on the table” ? Without it being progressive? Or rather what is the past tense of “The book lies on the table”? Is that right?

        • GrammarBook.com says:

          The past tense is written “The book lay on the table.” Please see the chart above.

          • Tina says:

            The diamond lies asleep at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

            So, then lies should be replaced with lay?

            • GrammarBook.com says:

              Present tense: The diamond lies asleep at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.
              Past tense: The diamond lay asleep at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

    • Gilberto says:

      It’s laying because lying is either to tell a falsehood or to rest or recline, but not to lay meaning to set an object down.

      • GrammarBook.com says:

        You may have misunderstood Theresa’s question. I am laying the book on the table. The book is lying on the table.

  2. Margie Searson says:

    I hear people say, “He was laying on the ground.” He is lying on the ground.” I have been lying in the bed all day.” Which or any correct?
    I don’t see much about laying or lying in the grammar books.

    • Jane says:

      Correct: He was lying on the ground. I have been lying in bed all day. I have a full explanation on this page: Lay vs. Lie.

    • Ernest says:

      If “he is lying on the ground” how can we be sure whether he is telling falsehoods from this place or merely prone? If “he is laying on the ground” is incorrect grammar, then how does correct grammar help clarify the statement and thus justify our attention to it?

      • GrammarBook.com says:

        Sometimes it is up to the writer to construct the sentence in a way that clarifies the meaning, although you may be one of the only persons in the world who would interpret the meaning of the sentence to be that the person is telling falsehoods on the ground.

        • Marlene Hinds says:

          I just read a newspaper article on an in-custody death, which stated, “Mr. [X’s] lifeless body can be seen lying on the ground…” That, in my estimation would be correct; however, my question is, if the police placed the body on the ground wouldn’t the correct term be “lay”as in, “The officer lay the lifeless body onto the ground…and the corpse can be see lying there?

          • GrammarBook.com says:

            If the policeman placed the body on the ground, write “The officer laid the lifeless body on the ground.”

        • wil says:

          “One of the only”
          is a meaningless phrase!

          • GrammarBook.com says:

            Some people are annoyed by one of the only, but it is an established idiom.

  3. Margie Searson says:

    Thank you, Jane.

    I laid my head on the pillow. Is this correct? This is confusing.

    • Jane says:

      Yes, it is confusing. And, yes, you are correct. You should write
      I lay my head on the pillow. (present tense)
      I will lay my head on the pillow. (future tense)
      I laid my head on the pillow. (past tense)

  4. Jinx says:

    I lay the tree on the car. The car was lying on top of me. Right?

    • Jane says:

      Yes, both your examples are correct.

      • Joan says:

        Not so fast! “I lay the tree on the car” is present tense. “The car was lying on top of me” is past tense. That is confusing. The pairs are (in my view):

        I lay the tree on the car. The car is lying on top of me.

        I laid the tree on the car. The car was lying on top of me.

        Clear as mud?

        • GrammarBook.com says:

          We interpreted Jinx’s question as asking whether his two sentences were grammatically correct, not whether his sentences were the same tense.

          We should all note that “I lay the tree on the car,” while grammatically correct, is an odd sentence.

      • Sheree says:

        Why are “things” lying? I thought it would be laying. Is it because there is an object that they are “lying” on?
        thanks.

        • GrammarBook.com says:

          When writing about things rather than people, it is helpful to think of the word lying meaning “resting.” For example, in the sentence “The cards were lying face down,” lying is the correct form of the verb lie, meaning “to recline or rest.” The verb lie does not take an object. The verb lay does take an object, as in the sentence “I was laying the cards face down.” In that sentence, the word cards is an object.

  5. jeff says:

    Sorry, still confused. Which is correct?
    Know where the sandbars lie.
    Know where the sandbars lay.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      The verb lie does not take an object. In the present tense, the verb lay does take an object. Examples:

      I will lay the book on the table.
      The book will lie on the table.
      (I, you, we, they) know where the sandbars lie.

      • Brennan says:

        I know these comments are old, but nearly every English sentence can be written in a way that is just as clear but avoids these issues.

        I will lay the book on the table.
        I will put the book on the table.
        I will set the book on the table.

        The book will lie on the table.
        The book will be on the table.
        The book will rest on the table.
        You will find the book on the table.

        (I, you, we, they) know where the sandbars lie.
        (I, you, we, they) know where the sandbars are.

        Just trying to eschew obfuscation.

        (Yeah, I know that wasn’t a complete sentence, but conversational English is very adept at leaving the subject implied.)

        • GrammarBook.com says:

          That is an interesting observation, but it is our job to help people learn how to use the confusing words correctly. Although rewording a sentence is an easy fix, it is not always acceptable, especially in an academic situation. We prefer not to avoid certain words just because they are difficult.

  6. Roberta Masecar says:

    You are to place objects, anything that will lie flat, on the paper.

    Is this use of lie, lay, correct?

  7. Geri says:

    Does one say, “He has a sore back. It hurts to lie on but does not wake him up at night.”

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      The sentence is fine grammatically, but it’s a bit awkward. You might consider rewording to “He has a sore back. It hurts to lie on it, but it does not wake him up at night.” OR
      “He has a sore back. It hurts to lie down, but it does not wake him up at night.”

  8. Mishelle says:

    Which is correct:

    Rusty has decided to lay next to me this evening.

    Rusty has decided to lie next to me this evening.

  9. karin says:

    Therein lies the opportunity.
    Therein lays the opportunity.

    which is correct and why?

    • Grammarbook.com says:

      The verb lie does not take an object. In the present tense, the verb lay does take an object. There is no direct object in your sentence. It is just an inverted sentence. If you turn the sentence around, it reads “The opportunity lies therein.”
      Therein lies the opportunity.

  10. hi says:

    Great explanation! I remember “learning” this in grammar class…
    I was actually checking out some apostrophe stuff, but saw the link and decided to get some things cleared up once and for all!
    Just to make sure I did, is this sentence correct?
    “As I lay in bed sleeping, my mother had laid a glass on the table, but she later lied and said it had lain there since before I fell asleep. Now when I lie down to sleep, I lay the glass somewhere she can’t find it, and lie to her, saying she laid it down and lost it!”

  11. Carol says:

    Is it: I am laying in bed or I am lying in bed?

  12. Elaine says:

    Am i using ‘lie’ correctly here?

    In this simple desire of an orphan lie the deep issues of settlement….

  13. Susan says:

    Is this the correct use of lie?

    “…that deep inside lies the nourishment to get us through the struggle.”

  14. Monique Cawood says:

    My competitive advantage lays in the breadth of experience and diversity in various roles. Is this correct?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      Since your sentence is in the present tense and “lays” does not have a direct object, use the verb lies.

  15. Jennifer says:

    So, which is correct?

    Being the inquisitive child that he was, he opened the bag and in it lie a spread of dog-eared sports magazines.

    Being the inquisitive child that he was, he opened the bag and in it laid a spread of dog-eared sports magazines

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      The past tense of lie is lay, therefore write “Being the inquisitive child that he was, he opened the bag and in it lay a spread of dog-eared sports magazines.”

  16. Wendy B says:

    “Cats used to be in charge of the world but put humans in charge so they could lay around.”
    That seems wrong to me. Should it be “so they could lie around?”
    For some reason I seem to remember that humans lie down, but objects and animals lay down. Now idea where that came from but my mother was a Grammar Nazi, so I’m thinking she is the one who said it. According to what I read now, though, that isn’t correct.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      Both humans and animals “lie down” or “lie around,” therefore the word lie is correct in your sentence.

  17. Carolyn Barnett says:

    I lie down. I lay the book down. My cat Zoey lies down. The discussion centered on whether lie or lay is correct for animals. What is correct?

    While I am asking, “on average” and “went missing” both seem wrong. Is it just my age?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      Both humans and animals “lie down.”

      The terms “on average” and “went missing” are idioms. An idiom is an expression that might not be understood from the meanings of its separate words but that has a separate meaning of its own. “On average” means “typically” and the definition of “went missing” is “disappeared.” We spent some time in July 2013 exploring the idiom “went missing.” Please see our blogs “The Media Made Me Do It” and “I’ll Be Hanged! Or, Have I Just Gone Missing?”

  18. JJ says:

    My impulse is to say “This is where their priorities lie.” but if I’m interpreting your chart correctly, it should say “This is where their priorities lay.”, which sounds awkward to me. Which is the correct use for an abstract such as “priorities”?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      Since the sentence is present tense and there is no object, the correct word is lie.

      “This is where their priorities lie.”

      “Their priorities lie here.”

      • Erica says:

        I don’t understand your response to the question above regarding “priorities lie/lay with…”

        Which part of the chart are you using to come to your conclusion?

        Thank you!

        • GrammarBook.com says:

          We are using the first example of present tense in the chart. When writing about things rather than people, it is helpful to think of the word lie meaning “rest or recline.” This is where their priorities lie (rest).

  19. Amita Johnsy says:

    The idea to start a poetry website was laid upon by my brother. Is it correct??

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      This is an unusual usage of lay/lie and selecting the correct tense is not likely to help this sentence much. Were you thinking of “stumbled upon”? Other alternatives could be:

      The idea to start a poetry website was initiated by my brother.
      My brother had the idea to start a poetry website.

  20. mary moore says:

    Please explain grammar rules for : Now I lay me down to sleep… Thank you!

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      With a little poetic license, the sentence is grammatical, but “myself” would replace “me” in modern English. The verb lay is transitive; “lay myself down” is akin to “lie down.”

  21. Vonda Skelton says:

    Is this correct?

    “That means you know what dangers lie in her path.”

    Thank you!

  22. Va says:

    Which is correct?
    The patient was unable to lay flat on his back.
    The patient was unable to lie flat on his back.

  23. Paul says:

    Where does the opportunity lie?

  24. Debbie says:

    So humans and animals lie, and inanimate objects lay? Are both of the following sentences correct?
    “The set of glasses laid unused in the cupboard.”
    “The man laid on the couch.”

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      The determination of usage is not as simple as humans and animals vs. inanimate objects. One must also consider the tense used, as well as whether a direct object follows lie or lay. The following are correct as indicated by the chart in the blog:

      The set of glasses lie unused in the cupboard. (“to recline or rest,” present tense, no direct object)
      The man lay down on the couch. (“to recline or rest,” past tense, no direct object)

  25. BabyBen says:

    Does a carcass lay or lie?

  26. Joan Warren says:

    “What lie in her wake did not feel like love.”
    or lay?

  27. Marie says:

    They lay there for some time. Does that sound correct?

  28. Mark says:

    I was listening to a hockey announcer say about a goalkeeper “he just laid there”

    is that correct?

    Should it be “he just lay there.”

  29. Paul says:

    I had always learned that animate objects “lie”, whole inanimate objects “lay”.
    “I lay (laid) the book on the table, before lying down for a nap.”

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      Your sentence is correct with the word laid, however, your theory is incorrect. Consider these examples:
      The books lie where you left them.
      The chair is lying on its side.

      Also, please see our reply of January 27, 2015, to Debbie in this blog for an explanation.

  30. Dawn says:

    When speaking to the dog do you say

    Lay down or lie down as a command

    My partner tells the dog to ‘lay down’
    Is that correct or is it correct to tell the dog

    ‘Lie down’ as a command

  31. Bob says:

    So after reading the comments I’m guessing one would tell their dog to lie down as in “Fido lie down” or “Fido go lie down”. Is that correct?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      The word lie is correct, however, we recommend a comma after the name Fido, as you are addressing him directly.

  32. Rose says:

    I have a sentence in which I’m not sure which form is correct. Could you please help?

    “We walked until we saw a fire (lain?) beneath the stars.”

    I think the structure of the sentence is throwing me off.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      Grammatically, “lying” is the choice over “lain.” But we see no reason for any form of the verb to lie between “fire” and “beneath.” We would instead write “flickering,” “burning,” or “blazing.”

  33. Richard Gassen says:

    The easiest way to distinguish between lay and lie: The former is a transitive verb that takes a direct object (noun or pronoun); the latter is intransitive. Lay the book down (transitive). Lie down for a nap (intransitive).

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      That is not always the case. When used as the past tense of lie, the word lay is not a transitive verb that takes a direct object. Example: Yesterday he lay around watching movies until noon.

  34. DP says:

    Is this correct usage?

    “My head now lays very low while I wait”.

    The context is coming from earlier on the page: “My head was in the clouds but life has brought me crashing down”. The “head” got to its current state by a mix of life happenings and the character’s realizations.

    Thank you!

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      In the present tense, the verb lay is used with a direct object. Therefore, write “My head now lies very low while I wait.”

  35. Juliar says:

    Which one is correct?
    1. The book was laid on the table.
    2. The book was lain on the table.

    Thank you.

  36. Robert Leach says:

    Jane, you wrote that: Jane says:

    June 11, 2009, at 9:26 am

    Correct: He was lying on the ground.

    Here,”lying” is in the past tense. Why not use “laying”?

    Just trying to understand.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      The present participle of lie is lying. We were/we are/we will be lying on the ground. Whether past, present, or future, the correct verb is lie, not lay.

  37. Diane Moyer says:

    I’m proofing a court transcript and cannot change the verbiage, only the spelling. The person is saying “I lied down in my sleeping bag, I lied there.” Is this the spelling I should use or “lyed”? Neither seems right but, as I said, I can’t change their usage. Please help!

  38. Pear says:

    I had just lain down for the evening.

  39. John says:

    Are these correct?

    The remains of a half-eaten dinner and the daily mail lie forgotten on the table.

    Dark and shapeless, the blank landscape lie before Dianna.

    Two bodies lie prone on the ground.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      Your first and third sentences are correct in the present tense. Your second sentence’s verb should either be “lies” (present) or “lay” (past).

  40. Emily says:

    Is “lied” ever correct in usage of anything but to tell a falsehood? Is it ever correct to say someone lied down if it’s in the proper tense and context?

  41. rinky says:

    please tell me are these sentences correct?
    i lay down on the bed all day.
    i lay down in the bed all day.
    Thanks

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      They are both grammatically correct if you are referring to the past. We would delete “down”: I lay on the bed all day (yesterday). Place a capital letter at the beginning of your sentences. We would make the second sentence I lay in bed all day (yesterday).

  42. John says:

    I’m a songwriter from the Netherlands and I’ve been writing in English for over 35 years now. Still sometimes even I get confused about the right way of using words in a sentence. For example I have just written a song in which the words lie and lay are confusing me. Also because I’m not using them directly, like Lie down or Lay down but in a suggestive kind of way. Maybe you could help me out. The lines are as follows: It’s fine if you want to lay/lie your head next to mine. It’s okay if you want to lay/lie beside me this way. I’d appreciate your input.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      It’s fine if you want to lay your head next to mine.
      It’s okay if you want to lie beside me this way.

  43. Cathy says:

    Action occurred in past. Which statement is correct?

    I read your email this morning, but I had to lay down before responding.

    I read your email this morning, but I had to lie down before responding.

  44. Leah Hernandez says:

    Which one?
    Jesse is lying in the hammock on the front porch.
    Jesse is laying in the hammock on the front porch.

  45. areincute says:

    Which one is correct?

    The things were laying on the floor.

    Or
    The things were lying on the floor.

  46. Victor says:

    And while he lay there sleeping, they gathered at his feet.

    Correct?

  47. M says:

    Which is correct?

    Lily the Cat is being a beautiful queen and keeps laying on the bed.

    or

    Lily the Cat is being a beautiful queen and keeps lying on the bed.

  48. Marny CA says:

    When knitting, are stitches to lie flat or lay flat?

    This was a new query to me — so thought I would rush here to ask you folks!

  49. Sandi says:

    Which is correct? (I wish I understood the rule! I struggle with lie/lay and set/sit.)
    The book and papers were laying on the arm of the chair. The book and papers were lying on the arm of the chair.
    The book and papers were setting on the arm of the chair. The book and papers were sitting on the arm of the chair.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      It is helpful to think of the word lying meaning “resting.” Therefore, write “The book and papers were lying on the arm of the chair.”
      Set means to place something somewhere. Sit means to be positioned or take a seat. “The book and papers were sitting on the arm of the chair” is correct.
      In addition to the chart contained in this post, please see Set, Sit in our Confusing Words and Homonyms section.

  50. Natalie says:

    What about the hard ones i have trouble with Come came, Goes went, have had, eat ate, woke wake,

  51. Silvia says:

    The culprit for the confusion between lie and lay is our Nobel Prize winner Bob Dylan with his song Lay, Lady, Lay!

  52. Helaie Rampley says:

    The chart was a great idea; may I use it when tutoring a student?
    What about an example of parallelism?

  53. Lisa R. says:

    My 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Bolte, taught us this poem (a VERY long time ago: estimate 1960-1961):

    Here I sit and
    there you lie.
    We are comfy
    you and I.
    But I am wondering
    where to lay
    this big book
    or set this tray.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      This is a clever way to help students learn and remember the difference between lie and lay.

  54. Emilie says:

    I have lain down on the sofa all week.

    I lay the cold washer over my hot forehead.

    Am I grammatically correct?

  55. Jeanne Heaton says:

    Question. Is it, “He lays down in the graveyard” or “He lies down in the graveyard”? I am stumped with the plural in present tense. The more I read the more stumped I become. Thanks.

  56. Sushiducke says:

    I saw a children’a song, with lyrics like “as I lay in my bed, I close my eyes.” Not past tense in this case but used “lay”. Is it grammatically incorrect?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      It is incorrect in the present tense.

    • Sushiducke says:

      How about “As I lay on my pillow.” Would it be correct to use lay in this case? Since pillow is only for the head, can we use lay in this sentence assuming I’m laying (my head) on the pillow.

      • GrammarBook.com says:

        No, in your first sentence there is no object. The correct form of the verb is lie. In the present tense, the verb lay does take an object. Therefore, you can write “I lay my head on the pillow,” since the word head is the object.

  57. cheryl silfee says:

    What is the past progressive form of “lie”?

    We were asked to write the past progressive form of “lie” in this sentence:

    Alana _____________________ on the floor playing cards.

    Our instructor told us the correct answer was “was lying”. Is this correct?

  58. Skip says:

    Which is correct:
    The bag is lying flay on the bed. OR
    The bag is laying flat on the bed?

  59. Ashley says:

    Is there any difference if “laid” is next to “out” in a sentence? For instance if I wrote, “Everything was laid out clearly in the document,” is “laid” correct here or should it be “lay” since “[e]verything” comes earlier in the sentence?

    Thanks!

  60. Susan says:

    The double-sided tape does not lie flat, as it is larger than the space provided for it.
    The double-sided tape does not lay flat, as it is larger than the space provided for it.

    Is the first sentence the one with the correct usage?

  61. Jcs says:

    Can you say “…some day…..when the wolf lays down with the bear…”
    Or is it “lies down”?

  62. Ashleigh says:

    Piles of raked leaves lie in every yard. Correct?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      Your sentence is correct in the present tense. If you are referring to past tense, write “Piles of raked leaves lay in every yard.”

  63. Pedro Teixeira says:

    Is the use of “lay” correct? “He slipped into his sleeping-bag. He needed to think, and his thinking was always clearer when he lay on his back.”

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      Yes, because your two sentences are written in the past tense, the past tense lay is correct.

  64. Jimmbo says:

    If you are telling someone to put their head down, are you telling them to lie their head down or lay their head down ?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      Since you are referring to the present tense and head is a direct object, write “Lay your head down.”

  65. Interested says:

    Is this use of laying correct?

    Due to weather conditions and excess water laying on grass.

  66. Lois Colletti says:

    We lay down together just hugging and saying the least words when my daughter walked to my bed and told me that she had breast cancer. We did not shed a tear. Is that correct?

  67. Crystal Scherer says:

    I found that chart immensely helpful. Wish I had found it years ago.
    Mind if I post this chart on a writing site with a link back to this page?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      We are glad you found the chart to be valuable. Please feel free to post the chart and link.

  68. Joyce Loughmiller says:

    Which is correct: The cat is lying down in front of the warm fire,
    or
    The cat is laying down in front of the warm fire?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      Whether the cat is presently in the reclining position or whether it is in the process of reclining, lying is correct.

  69. Deb S says:

    In the following sentence, I’m confused why it wouldn’t be “lay down” since “Kaysha asked” is in past tense.

    “Kaysha asked if she could lie down in the nurse’s office.”

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      The auxiliary verb could is used in conjunction with the main verb lie. When an auxiliary verb is used, the spelling of the main verb does not change.

  70. Diana Azzarone says:

    When you give the dog the instruction is it correct to say Lie down or lay down?

  71. Gilberto Nino says:

    “I know you want to lay down here and never get up again.”
    “The fact… I’m laying here in your bedroom.”
    I got these above two from movie subtitles. So, it’s not lie or lying?

    Can you say “I lay back in calm,” or does it have to be “I lie back in calm”?
    There is no direct object to use lay right? Lie has me feeling like lying down.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      Do not trust movie dialogue or subtitles to always use correct grammar. You are correct that there are no direct objects in any of your examples; therefore, lie and lying are grammatically correct in your first two examples. In your last sentence lay could be correct if you are using the past tense.

      • Gilberto Nino says:

        Wow, thank you for such a wonderful page. The Blue Book Of Grammar and Punctuation is amazing. Thank you for supporting it. I will keep if for a lifetime until I know it by heart.

  72. Gilberto Nino says:

    I can see that the comma rules on your website have extra rules than your actual print book. An example would be rule 13 for commas. You have two extra letters on your website rules.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      You may notice some differences between the contents of the GrammarBook.com website and the hard-copy book. We are able to update the website whenever we see an opportunity for improvement. However, specifically in regard to Rules 13a and 13b of Commas, the website and 11th edition of the book are the same. Perhaps you have an earlier edition. We are looking forward to a 12th edition of The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation that will come out in 2021.

  73. Gilberto Nino says:

    Would you care to explain how “lay low” is correct? Thank you.
    I much appreciate the work you do. I hope it brings a lot of happiness to your life.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      In regard to the idiom carrying the meaning of “hide out,” either lie low or lay low can be correct depending on the tense:
      We will lie low today.
      We lay low yesterday.

      The phrase lay low is also correct in terms of overcoming an opponent.
      He lay low his opponent with a combination of head and body blows.

  74. Penny says:

    Have I got this right? If any body part is an object, then saying “I laid my hand on his chest” or “He laid his hand on my chest” would be correct for past tense. “I lay my hand on his chest” would be correct for present tense. “I lay on the bed” would be correct for past tense (because he’s going to lie down). “I have lain in bed all night” is correct for past tense.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      You have written and identified the first four examples correctly. The last example is the present perfect tense. The simple past tense would be “I lay in bed all night.”

  75. Penny says:

    Is this correct for past tense? “I smiled before laying my hand on her arm.” Or would I have to write “I smiled before I laid my hand on her arm”?

  76. robert cool says:

    Are Your Texts Passive Aggressive? The Answer May Lay In Your Punctuation.
    This is a news headline and I cannot get around their use of “Lay.” Please help.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      You don’t need help; the headline writer does. Since the sentence is present tense and there is no object, the correct word is Lie.

  77. A says:

    When was the linoleum (laid, lain)?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      As is indicated on the chart above, the past participle form for lay meaning “to put or place” is laid.

  78. Gilberto Nino says:

    “The end of the day before you lay down.”

    How is this correct or wrong? If you may.

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      There is no direct object in your sentence, and the sentence refers to an action that hasn’t yet happened; therefore, the sentence would apply the present-tense intransitive verb lie.

  79. Scott Godlew says:

    The cat will purr as it approaches me, as if the sound itself were a bed where it could lay in my lap.

    I saw an example structured like this and wondered if the word, could, causes lay to be correct instead of lie.

  80. Jae says:

    “A marker and pen lie on Mr. Smith’s desk.” – present tense
    “A marker and pen lay on Mr. Smith’s desk.” – past (meaning the items may have been there yesterday, but not today. Correct?)

  81. McKenzie says:

    “They lie, these volumes that have cost such weeks of hope and wasted love.”
    The context before insinuates that “lie” in this text means to lie down. Is that grammatically correct? Can the volumes “lie”?

    • GrammarBook.com says:

      The usage chart in this post applies to humans, animals, and inanimate objects. Your sentence does not have a direct object; therefore, the present tense lie is correct. The volumes rest rather than “lie down.”

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