When the subject sets an object down, use lay or laid.įollow this grammar rule of thumb, and you’ll be on your way to laying your words down properly.When the subject is putting itself into a horizontal position, use lie, lay, or lain.But for the most part, here’s what you should remember: So, yes, it can definitely get complicated. The past participle of lie is lain: “I had laid my keys on the coffee table, before I had lain down to read.” That means when you’re using a helping verb, like had, you’ll use laid instead of lay. That’s right, lay is a present tense verb, and it’s also the past tense of another verb: “I lie on the couch when I listen to music, and yesterday, I lay down on it for a nap.”īut wait, there’s more: Laid is not only the past tense of lay, but also the past participle of it. Past tense of Lay is: LaidShe laid the blanket on the floor earlier that morning. What’s confusing is that lay is the past tense of lie. Present participle Lie is: LyingThe baby has been lying down all morning. Today, I lay my pen next to it.” That’s pretty straightforward. The past tense of the verb lay is laid: “Yesterday, I laid the book on the desk. So lie is when the subject performs the action, and lay is when the subject is acting on an object. Lay is used when the subject is putting or setting down the object of the sentence: “I lay down my pen when I type.” Lie is when the subject of the sentence is resting in a horizontal position: “I lie down to read.” l laid ld laying Synonyms of lay transitive verb 1 : to beat or strike down with force 2 a : to put or set down lay your books on the table b : to place for rest or sleep She laid the baby in his crib for a nap. Both of these verbs are present tense and have similar, but slightly different meanings. Present participle: ‘I am laying my book on the table.Here’s a grammar rule that confuses many: When do you use lay or laid? And what about lie?įirst, let’s talk about lie and lay.Past participle: ‘She had laid her book on the table.’.Simple past tense: ‘He laid his book on the table.’.Simple present tense: ‘I lay my book on the table.’.Present participle: ‘I am lying down on the bed.’.Example, Yesterday he laid the blanket down on the table. Past participle: ‘She had lain down on the bed.’ Answer (1 of 26): Laid down is correct but note that laid is the past tense form of the verb lay which is transitive, meaning it requires an object.Simple past tense: ‘He lay down on the bed.’.Simple present tense: ‘I lie down on the bed.’.The various verb forms of each word are shown below. If you struggle with these terms, it can help to think about a chicken laying an egg: the chicken is putting something down, not lying down itself. Lay (past tense of ‘lie’): Peter lay down on the bed. Lay (put down): I lay my keys on the kitchen table. If you’re looking for Sam, he’s laying / lying rolls of new sod in the backyard. ![]() The subjects I, you, we are used as ‘have + laid’. Yesterday, I laid the book on the counter. Yesterday, I lay there in the sun all day. The -ing form is lying and the past simple is lay. Note also that the past tense of lay is laid not the sometimes incorrectly used layed. It is an irregular verb and it doesn’t take an object. ![]() If the question is in the Present Perfect Tense, we use the word lay as have + laid or has + laid. Here the verbs get confusing because the past tense of lie is lay, which as you know has the same spelling and pronunciation as present tense of the other verb. ‘Laid’ is used in the case of Past Perfect Tense or Present Perfect Tense. ![]() I really wish you would stop laying / lying about where you put the cookie jar. The V3 form is the same as the V2 form, different from the V1 form. The foundation for the house has been laid / lain. lay by choosing the correct form of the verb in each sentence. As such, both of the following are correct: Pop Quiz Reinforce your understanding of lie vs. The confusion stems from the fact that ‘lay’ is both a present-tense verb in itself, meaning to place or put something down, and the simple past tense of the verb ‘lie’, meaning to recline. The simple past tense of ‘lay’ is ‘laid’: Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter!
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