Putting down or resting?

The idea

Lay takes an object: its forms are lay, laid, laid. Lie takes no object: its forms are lie, lay, lain.

Examples

• Maya lays the keys on the shelf.
• The cat lies in the sun every morning.
• Yesterday, Amir laid a blanket on the grass.
• After lunch, Elena lay on the sofa.
• We have laid the cards face down.
• The dog has lain beside the door all afternoon.

Watch out

Do not use laid for resting: the past of lie is lay.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the correct form. Please ___ your coat on the chair. (lay / lie)

   Show answer or example answer

   lay

   lay: The coat is the object being placed.

2. Choose the correct form. Every evening, I ___ on the rug to stretch. (lay / lie)

   Show answer or example answer

   lie

   lie: The speaker rests; nothing is being placed.

3. Choose the correct form. Yesterday, we ___ on the beach for an hour. (laid / lay)

   Show answer or example answer

   lay

   lay: Yesterday calls for the past of lie.

4. Choose the correct form. She has ___ the plates on the table. (laid / lain)

   Show answer or example answer

   laid

   laid: The plates are placed, and has calls for the past participle.

Use it today

Describe where you put an object and where you rested yesterday.