22/4/2019 Lay or lie ?

gramática inglés en "English Grammar Today" - Cambridge University Press

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Lay or lie ? 

de English Grammar Today 

The verb lay means ‘to put something down carefully in a flat position’. It must have an object. It is a 
regular verb, but note the spelling of the past simple and -ed form: laid not layed:

Shall I lay the tray on the bed?

A wonderful wooden floor has been laid in the dining room.

Not: … floor has been layed …

Lie is a verb which means ‘to be in or put yourself into a flat position’. It is an irregular verb and it
doesn’t take an object. The -ing form is lying and the past simple is lay. The -ed form, lain, is very
formal and is rarely used:

I love to lie on a beach and read.

She lay on the bed and gazed at the ceiling, daydreaming.

The dog was lying by the gate waiting for me to come home.

Lie can also mean ‘say something which is not true’. In this case, it is a regular verb:

I lied to my teacher about my homework.

 Compare

base lay (put something lie (be lie (say something that is not
form down) horizontal) true)

past
laid lay lied
simple

-ed form laid lain lied

Typical errors

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22/4/2019 Lay or lie ? gramática inglés en "English Grammar Today" - Cambridge University Press

We don’t use lay to talk about being in a flat position. Lay must have an object:
  
My mother hates when the cat lies on our beds.

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Not: …gramática
when the cat lays on our beds …  

The past form of lie is lay:

I lay on the grass and watched a plane fly overhead.

Not: I lied on the grass …

FORD 6.0L E… FORD 7.3L / I… FORD 6.0L F…

FORD 7.3L F… FORD 6.0L / I… FORD 7.3L F…

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Table de contenidos

+ Adjectives and adverbs

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22/4/2019 Lay or lie ? gramática inglés en "English Grammar Today" - Cambridge University Press

– Easily confused words   

Above or over?
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Across, over or through?

Advice or advise?

Affect or effect?

All or every?

All or whole?

Allow, permit or let?

Almost or nearly?

Alone, lonely, or lonesome?

Along or alongside?

Already, still or yet?

Also, as well or too?

Alternate(ly), alternative(ly)

Although or though?

Altogether or all together?

Amount of, number of or quantity of?

Any more or anymore?

Anyone, anybody or anything?

Apart from or except for?

Arise or rise?

Around or round?

Arouse or rouse?

As or like?

As, because or since?

As, when or while?

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22/4/2019 Lay or lie ? gramática inglés en "English Grammar Today" - Cambridge University Press

Been or gone?
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Begin or start?
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
Beside or besides?

Between or among?

Born or borne?

Bring, take and fetch

Can, could or may?

Classic or classical?

Come or go?

Consider or regard?

Consist, comprise or compose?

Content or contents?

Different from, different to or different than?

Do or make?

Down, downwards or downward?

During or for?

Each or every?

East or eastern; north or northern?

Economic or economical?

Efficient or effective?

Elder, eldest or older, oldest?

End or finish?

Especially or specially?

Every one or everyone?

Except or except for?

Expect, hope or wait?

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22/4/2019 Lay or lie ? gramática inglés en "English Grammar Today" - Cambridge University Press

Experience or experiment?
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Fall or fall down?
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Far or a long way?

Farther, farthest or further, furthest?

Fast, quick or quickly?

Fell or felt?

Female or feminine; male or masculine?

Finally, at last, lastly or in the end?

First, firstly or at first?

Fit or suit?

Following or the following?

For or since?

Forget or leave?

Full or filled?

Fun or funny?

Get or go?

Grateful or thankful?

Hear or listen (to)?

High or tall?

Historic or historical?

House or home?

How is …? or What is … like?

If or when?

If or whether?

Ill or sick?

Imply or infer?

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22/4/2019 Lay or lie ? gramática inglés en "English Grammar Today" - Cambridge University Press

In the way or on the way?

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It’s or its?
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
Late or lately?

Lay or lie?

Lend or borrow?

Less or fewer?

Look at, see or watch?

Low or short?

Man, mankind or people?

Maybe or may be?

Maybe or perhaps?

Nearest or next?

Never or not … ever?

Nice or sympathetic?

No doubt or without doubt?

No or not?

Nowadays, these days or today?

Open or opened?

Opportunity or possibility?

Opposite or in front of?

Other, others, the other or another?

Out or out of?

Permit or permission?

Person, persons or people?

Pick or pick up?

Play or game?

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22/4/2019 Lay or lie ? gramática inglés en "English Grammar Today" - Cambridge University Press

Politics, political, politician or policy?

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Price or prize?
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
Principal or principle?

Quiet or quite?

Raise or rise?

Remember or remind?

Right or rightly?

Rob or steal?

Say or tell?

So that or in order that?

Sometimes or sometime?

Sound or noise?

Speak or talk?

Such or so?

There, their or they’re?

Towards or toward?

Wait or wait for?

Wake, wake up or awaken?

Worth or worthwhile?

+ Nouns, pronouns and determiners

+ Prepositions and particles

+ Words, sentences and clauses

+ Using English

+ Verbs

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22/4/2019 Lay or lie ? gramática inglés en "English Grammar Today" - Cambridge University Press

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