Today’s list of frequently confused and misspelled words includes lie and lay. I separated these two troublemakers from the other “L” words because they deserve special attention. The following chart is from the Purdue OWL, with examples from the grammarbook.com website below.
LIE versus LAY
| Lie vs. Lay Usage | ||
| Present | Past | Past Participle |
| lie, lying (to tell a falsehood) | I lied to my mother. | I have lied under oath. |
| lie, lying (to recline) | I lay on the bed because I was tired. | He has lain in the grass. |
| lay, laying (to put, place) | I laid the baby in her cradle. | We have laid the dishes on the table. |
Examples in the Present Tense:
I am tempted to lie about my age.
I am not lying about my age.
I like to lie down for a nap at 2:00 p.m.
I am lying down for a nap today.
The hens lay eggs.
The hen is laying eggs.
Examples in the Past Tense:
He lied on the witness stand.
I lay down for a nap yesterday at 2:00 p.m.
The hen laid two eggs yesterday.
Examples with a Participle (has, have):
He has lied each day on the witness stand.
I have lain down for a nap every day this week.
The hen has laid two eggs every day this week.
Have a great weekend!
Kara Church
Senior Technical Editor
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