Pet Peeve #36 - Lay vs Lie
Yes, my friends, the time has come. We shall bravely venture into the confusing world of “lay vs. lie”.
Does this whole thing piss anyone else off as much as it does me? I mean, come on! Have one present tense for everything and one past tense for everything. Easy. I’ll even promise not to rant about lie also meaning something false. See? I’m willing to compromise.
Yuck.
So what is the final word on this little lovely? Well, I’d better get it right or else I’ll have a slew of emails along with a long and drawn out feeling of embarrassment to deal with.
“Lay” is a verb meaning ‘to put or place something somewhere’. Thus, you need an object to make it work.
Example: I lay the pillow on the bed gently, while I laid the blanket on the bed roughly. I’m now considering laying a few more blankets on the bed.
“Lie” is a verb meaning to recline. No object needed.
Example: I lie on the bed often, thinking of my fate. My husband asks my why I’m lying there when I’ve lain there for over an hour. I lay there and stare at him.
Ah ha! Brain pain - ‘lay’ works for both of them! Yes, that’s true, but always think of it in terms of an object. Is there an object involved or not?
If you’re not sure whether to use “lay” or “lie,” try substituting a form of the verb “place.” If it makes sense, use a form of “lay.”
Example: I lay the pillow on the bed gently. I place the pillow on the bed gently.
See? Not so horrible after all.
But you might want to bookmark this post anyway.
September 11th, 2007 at 7:05 am
I love that your annoyance is with the words themselves and not with the writers who struggle with those words.
September 12th, 2007 at 6:15 pm
It’s easier to be annoyed at the words sometimes rather than the writers and thus avoid being annoyed with myself.