Confusing Words > lay and lie

Confusing Words > lay and lie


LAY AND LIE
lay (to cause to lie down) and lie (to be or place oneself at rest in a flat, horizontal position)

Both verbs are irregular. Be careful because the past tense of to lie is lay.

lay – laid - laid
lie – lay - lain

Examples:

Our kids like lying (Note the spelling of lying!) in bed till the midday.
Lay the pens on the table, please.
Cynthia lay under a tree to sleep.
Dirty dishes lay on the table.
Do you know how to lay a real wood floor?

However, when to lie means not to tell the truth, it is a regular verb, e.g. She lied to me about her previous job.