The verb lay means "to put"; it takes a direct object. The verb lie means "to rest"; it does not take a direct object. Don't confuse the past and past participle forms of these verbs:
- LAY (present), laid (past), and laid (past participle)
- LIE (present), lay (past), and lain (past participle)
Examples:
The pumpkin that I had laid on the porch lay there for a month.
Corrections:
"English department: from a television review, page 18, December 10: 'The victim lays on the ground, sobbing.' That should be 'The victim lies on the ground,' or if the past tense is wanted, 'The victim lay on the ground.'"
(Corrections and Clarifications, The Guardian, December 14, 1999)
Usage Notes:
- "A frustrating pair. Here's the deal. In the present tense, lay is a transitive verb, meaning it takes a direct object: you lay something down. Lie doesn't take a direct object: something just lies there. If you're tired of holding something, you should lay it down; if you're not feeling well, you should lie down. (Of course, I'm excluding lie, 'tell an untruth'--this is just the reclining lie.
"Not too bad: if this were the whole deal, there'd be nothing to worry about. But it gets messier, because the past tense of lay is laid, and the past tense of lie is, well, lay."
(Jack Lynch, "Lay versus Lie," The English Language: A User's Guide, Focus Publishing, 2008) - "If the grammarians and the schoolmasters and the schoolmarms and the usage writers have succeeded in largely establishing the transitive-intransitive distinction between lay and lie in standard discursive prose, they have not done so well in speech. . . .
"Notwithstanding the belief of some that social judgments can be solidly based on language use, the lay-lie shibboleth may be changing its status. For instance, several commentators, such as Evans 1957, Follett 1966, and Flesch 1983, are perfectly willing to give the distinction up; Bolinger 1980 thinks it is already a lost cause not worth defending; Coperud 1970, 1980 judges the consensus of his experts to be that at least some uses of lay for lie are verging on the standard. Flesch even goes so far as to recommend using lay for lie if it comes naturally to you.
"If lay 'lie' is on the rise socially, however, it is likely to be a slow rise, as indignant letters to the editor attest. Bolinger observes sensibly that if you have invested some effort in learning the distinction, you will not want to admit that you have wasted your time. And by far the largest part of our printed evidence follows the schoolbook rules. On the other hand, evidence also shows no retreat of intransitive lay in oral use. So what should you do? The best advice seems to be Bolinger's.
"Many people use lay for lie, but certain others will judge you uncultured if you do. Decide for yourself what is best for you."
("lay, lie," Merriam-Webster's Concise Dictionary of English Usage, Merriam-Webster, 2002)
Practice:
(a) The cat always _____ curled up under the table.
(b) Don't shout when you _____ your cards down.
(c) Linda _____ down for a nap after yoga last night.
