He is so tired these days he just lies in bed all day. The simple past tense of the verb ‘lie’ is ‘lay.’ Let us illustrate by showing you an example sentence in the present tense and the same example in the past tense. Right? But there is one instance where things can get a little complicated: when we use the verbs in their past tense. ‘Lying’ is the present participle of the verb ‘to lie.’ For example: That is why we say ‘lying in bed’ and not ‘laying in bed.’ You are not moving or doing anything when you are lying down. It is also a stative verb, meaning it describes a state. Lying is an intransitive verb, meaning it does not require an object, as explained above. For example:īe careful as you walk through the house we are laying a new carpet. ‘Laying’ is the present participle of the verb ‘to lay.’ The present participle tense describes an action currently happening. Watch out for the bare floor we tried to lay new carpets, but they didn’t fit.We’ll lay down a new layer of plaster on the wall.She laid the baby in his crib, ready for naptime.Here are some more examples to illustrate this: You can see in the example how there is movement involved. Laying is also a dynamic verb, meaning it expresses an action. Notice how, in the example above, ‘gifts’ are the object for the verb ‘laying.’ I’m laying your gifts on the bed so you can see everything I got you. So if you were going to use ‘lay’ in the context of a bed, it would be to say you are setting something on the bed. To lay something is to position it somewhere. Laying is a transitive verb, meaning it needs an object, as explained above. Here are some examples of intransitive verbs: Some examples of transitive verbs include: Intransitive verbs, on the other hand, do not. Transitive verbs are verbs that act upon something else. Let’s begin by explaining the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs, specifically the verbs ‘to lay’ and ‘to lie.’ Transitive and Intransitive Verbs The folders have laid on the desk since yesterday.To Conclude for ‘Laying in Bed’ Vs. Abandoned cars were laying along the road. Substitution of forms of lay for those of lie occur in all but the most formal speech and writing, but constructions like the following are generally considered incorrect: Can you lay down? The dog laid in the shade. The folders have lain on the desk since yesterday. Abandoned cars were lying along the road. Its forms are irregular its past tense form is identical with the present tense or infinitive form of lay: Lie down, children.

― lie, with the overall senses “to be in a horizontal position, recline” and “to rest, remain, be situated, etc.,” is intransitive and takes no object.

lay also has several intransitive senses, among them “to lay eggs” ( The hens have stopped laying), and it forms many phrasal verbs, such as lay off. If “place” or “put” can be substituted in a sentence, a form of lay is called for: Lay the folders on the desk. lay is most commonly a transitive verb and takes an object. The phrasal verb lay for and the nautical use of lay, as in lay at anchor, though intransitive, are standard.

There are a few exceptions to these rules.

I was lying (not laying) in bed when he called. The rubbish had lain (not laid) there a week. When I lay (not laid) down, I fell asleep. Lie and its principal parts ( lay, lain, lying) are correctly used in the following examples: She often lies (not lays) down after lunch. Lie is an intransitive verb and cannot take an object. Lay and its principal parts ( laid, laying) are correctly used in the following examples: He laid (not lay) the newspaper on the table. Lay is a transitive verb and takes a direct object.

By traditional usage prescription, these words should be kept distinct according to the following rules.

Third, lay down, as in She lay down on the sofa sounds the same as laid down, as in I laid down the law to the kids. Second, lay was once used with a reflexive pronoun to mean 'lie' and survives in the familiar line from the child's prayer Now I lay me down to sleep lay me down is easily shortened to lay down. One is the base form of the verb lay, and the other is the past tense of lie. Usage Note: Lay ('to put, place, or prepare') and lie ('to recline or be situated') have been confused for centuries evidence exists that lay has been used to mean 'lie' since the 1300s.

Sononym lying down