 | First, see how the words look in the present and the past tense. | | Present | Past | | lie | he lies..., he is lying... | he lay..., he was lying..., he has lain... | | lay | she lays, she is laying | he laid, he was laying, he has laid |
Now compare the following: | lay ( + object) | She laid the baby on the bed in order to change its nappy. | | lie ( + phrase of place) | She was lying asleep on the sofa when her husband arrived home. | | lay ( + object) | Can you lay the table for me please? Lunch is ready. | | lie ( + phrase of place) | I told her not to lie out in the sun, but she must have lain there for at least an hour for her back was very sunburnt. | | lay ( + object) | I had never laid carpets before, but I was determined to have a go. | | lie ( + phrase of place) | When I looked out of the aircraft window, I could see that London lay beneath us. | | lay ( + object) | His lawyer will lay great emphasis on his state of mind when the murder was committed and claim that it was manslaughter, not murder. | | lie ( + phrase of place) | None of us knows what lies ahead, but you must try to take a grip on your life and decide where your future lies. |
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