0
Usenet Posted 18 years ago
Usage
Lay laid laid; lie lay lain
I have trouble with "lay: to put down" vs "lie: to recline".
What do most people use as a mnemonic to remember the difference between:
Lay the book down; he laid the book down; he has laid the book down. ... versus ...
The books lie on the table; the books lay on the table; the books had lain on the table.
What do most people use as a mnemonic to remember the difference between:
Lay the book down; he laid the book down; he has laid the book down. ... versus ...
The books lie on the table; the books lay on the table; the books had lain on the table.
Top answer
[nq:1]What do most people use as a mnemonic to remember the difference[/nq] I don't know about most people, but how about a vulgar double entendre to help make it memorable? She said she'd never been laid, but she was lying. "Laid" is always transitive; "lie" or "lying" is always intransitive.
- [nq:1]What do most people use as a mnemonic to remember the difference[/nq] I don't know about most people, but how about a vulgar double entendre to help make it memorable?
- She said she'd never been laid, but she was lying.
- "Laid" is always transitive; "lie" or "lying" is always intransitive.
- From that starting point you can figure out when "lay" is appropriate: in the present if it's transitive, in the past if it's intransitive.
- Then you just have to remember the "-n" suffix for the participle.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
4 Answers
0
[nq:1]What do most people use as a mnemonic to remember the difference[/nq]
I don't know about most people, but how about a vulgar double entendre to help make it memorable?
She said she'd never been laid, but she was lying.
"Laid" is always transitive; "lie" or "lying" is always intransitive. From that starting point you can figure out when "lay" is appropriate: in the present if
I don't know about most people, but how about a vulgar double entendre to help make it memorable?
She said she'd never been laid, but she was lying.
"Laid" is always transitive; "lie" or "lying" is always intransitive. From that starting point you can figure out when "lay" is appropriate: in the present if
00
[nq:2]What do most people use as a mnemonic to remember the difference[/nq]
[nq:1]I don't know about most people, but how about a vulgar double entendre to help make it memorable? She said she'd never been laid, but she was lying.[/nq]
Or perhaps, "She lay down and was laid".
BTW, in Gloucestershire, England, the past tense of both of these verbs is pronounced as "led".
With best w
[nq:1]I don't know about most people, but how about a vulgar double entendre to help make it memorable? She said she'd never been laid, but she was lying.[/nq]
Or perhaps, "She lay down and was laid".
BTW, in Gloucestershire, England, the past tense of both of these verbs is pronounced as "led".
With best w
00
[nq:2]She said she'd never been laid, but she was lying.[/nq]
[nq:1]Or perhaps, "She lay down and was laid".[/nq]
Not much to prevent anyone from misremembering it as "she laid down." The point of the pun, using two different words "lie" with different conjugations, was to make it impossible to substitute "lay" for "lie" by mistake.
I'm at a loss for a context to make intransitive past
[nq:1]Or perhaps, "She lay down and was laid".[/nq]
Not much to prevent anyone from misremembering it as "she laid down." The point of the pun, using two different words "lie" with different conjugations, was to make it impossible to substitute "lay" for "lie" by mistake.
I'm at a loss for a context to make intransitive past
00
[nq:1]I have trouble with "lay: to put down" vs "lie: to recline". What do most people use as a mnemonic ... ... The books lie on the table; the books lay on the table; the books had lain on the table.[/nq]
Let's lay our cards on the table. You wouldn't lie your cards on the table, or lie your book down. Since you've memorized the 6 principle parts in the subject line, it all follows from that
Let's lay our cards on the table. You wouldn't lie your cards on the table, or lie your book down. Since you've memorized the 6 principle parts in the subject line, it all follows from that
0
Related Questions