Learning "Lay" and "Lie"

by Gerald Grow, Ph.D.

Division of Journalism

Florida A&M University, Tallahassee FL 32307

available at http://www.longleaf.net/ggrow

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Summary and Tests

Summary

What You Have Learned

1. "Lay" is regular/transitive, "lie" is irregular/intransitive

"Lay" is a regular verb that takes an object

Yesterday, she laid the book on the table.

"Lie" is an irregular verb that does not take an object

Yesterday, she lay down after lunch.

2. Most problems come from substituting "lay" for "lie."

People often use forms of "lay" when forms of "lie" are needed--for example, incorrectly saying "I will lay down now" when "I will lie down now" is correct.

3. "Lay" is not always "lay."

There are two verb forms spelled "lay," which mean different things, and which add to the confusion between "lay" and "lie."

"Lay" is the present tense of "to lay."
A second, unrelated word, "lay," is the past tense of "to lie."

Lay and lay are different words. They mean different things.

Step 5: Putting it together

Practice Using All Forms of "Lay" and "Lie"

These practice exercises use "lay" and "lie" in all their forms. These exercises include a reference chart on Lay and Lie, so you can look up anything you are not sure about.

(Adjust the size of the new window, if necessary, to make room for the reference chart.)

Lay and Lie 1 (Tree)
Lay and Lie 2 (Sleep Artist)
Lay and Lie 3 (Ferret)

Test yourself

Test Your Progress

Here are some practice tests that do not give you any help or hints, to help you decide how well you have learned "lay" and "lie."

First re-take the quizzes you just completed, only this time without any help. While taking these tests do not look back at the instructional material. Good luck!

LayLie Test 1 (Tree)
LayLie Test 2 (Sleep Artist)
LayLie Test 3 (Ferret)

Next, practice this same material in a more challenging fill-in-the-blank form, where you have to recall the correct forms of "lay" and "lie," instead of choosing between alternative answers. Good luck!

Fill-in-the-Blank Practice on Lay and Lie

Next, practice these fill-in-the-blank exercises using actual journalistic examples. The language and topics in these examples reflect the use of lay and lie in daily journalism. Don't just lie around; lay the answers down!

Blue Ribbon Tests on Lay and Lie

These are the really difficult ones. If you can get all these right, you really know lay and lie!

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