Lay or lie?

The verb lay means ‘to put something down carefully in a flat position’. It must have an object. It is a regular verb, but note the spelling of the past simple and -ed form: laid not layed:

• Shall I lay the tray on the bed?
• A wonderful wooden floor has been laid in the dining room.
• Not: … floor has been layed …

Lie is a verb which means ‘to be in or put yourself into a flat position’. It is an irregular verb and it doesn’t take an object. The -ing form is lying and the past simple is lay. The -ed form, lain, is very formal and is rarely used:

• I love to lie on a beach and read.
• She lay on the bed and gazed at the ceiling, daydreaming.
• The dog was lying by the gate waiting for me to come home.

Lie can also mean ‘say something which is not true’. In this case, it is a regular verb:

• I lied to my teacher about my homework.

Compare

base form	lay(put something down)	lie(be horizontal)	lie (say something that is not true)
past simple	laid	lay	lied
-ed form	laid	lain	lied

Typical errors

We don’t use lay to talk about being in a flat position. Lay must have an object:

• My mother hates when the cat lies on our beds.
• Not: … when the cat lays on our beds …

The past form of lie is lay:

• I lay on the grass and watched a plane fly overhead.
• Not: I lied on the grass …