Lie
- “lie down or lay down”
- “laying in bed or lying in bed”
- “lay vs lie past tense”
- “i laid down or i lay down”
01 · Side by side
Side by side
Comparison sheet
| Aspect | Lie (recline) | Lay (put down) |
|---|---|---|
| Takes an object? | No (intransitive) | Yes (transitive) |
| Forms | lie, lay, lain, lying | lay, laid, laid, laying |
| Present example | 'I lie on the grass.' | 'I lay the towel on the grass.' |
| Past example | 'Yesterday I lay on the grass.' | 'Yesterday I laid the towel on the grass.' |
02 · Which one you meant
Which one did you mean?
In shortReaders who land here meaning Lie rather than Lay (put down) are usually searching for phrases like “lie down or lay down”, “laying in bed or lying in bed”, “lay vs lie past tense”.
03 · Read either one