Lay vs.

Lie
A GRAMMAR GUIDE

Cord Bynum
IST 511
October 14, 2014

Introduction
Lay and lie Whats the difference?
Examples How are they used?
Tips How can I remember the rules?
Why? Sound smart, be smart!

Defining the Terms

Lay
To put, place, or set

down

Lie
To rest, recline, or be

in a flat position

Transitive verb

Intransitive verb

Used with an object

Not used with an object

I lay the box on the table

I lie on the couch

Quick Guide to Conjugation

Present
Tense

Past
Tense

Past
Participle

I lay the box

on the table.

I laid the box

on the table.

I had laid the

box on the table.

I lie on
the couch.

I lay on
the couch.

I had lain
on the couch.

Examples
Lay
Every afternoon, she lays the baby down for a nap.
Yesterday afternoon, she laid the baby down for a nap.
She had just laid the baby down for a nap when Bob called.

Lie
Every afternoon, she lies down for a nap.
Yesterday afternoon, she lay down for a nap.
She had just lain down for a nap when Bob called.

Tips to Remember
Is the action directed toward an object?

Remember: lay always takes an object

Consider a mnemonic phrase:

Chickens lay eggs; dogs lie down.

Write out the conjugations in chart form:

Lay

Laid

Laid

Lie

Lay

Lain

References
Fogarty, M. Lay versus lie. (2009, December 17). Grammar Girls Quick
and Dirty Tips. Retrieved from http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/
education/grammar/lay-versus-lie?page=1

Gibson, M.D. Lie & lay. (2012, October 4). Professor Malcolm Gibsons
Wonderful World of Words. Retrieved from http://web.ku.edu/
~edit/lie.html
Lay. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/lay
Lie. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved from http://
dictionary.reference.com/browse/lie
Simmons, R.L. Rules for using lay and lie. (2014). Grammar Bytes! Retrieved
from http://www.chompchomp.com/handouts/irregularrules02.pdf