Dec 12 2007
Lie or Lay?
Only two of the following sentences are correct. Which?
1. I’m going to lie down.
2. I’m going to lay down.
3. Please lie the book on the table.
4. Please lay the book on the table.
Did you guess the first and last sentences? If so, you’re right. You should receive a prize for not abusing these oft-confused verbs.
There’s a simple way to remember which verb is which. Just ask yourself, “What does a chicken do with an egg?” It lays it, of course. “Lay” means to put or place down. The other verb – “lie” – means to recline. (If the chicken exhausts itself when it lays an egg, it can lie down for a rest.)
So remember: a chicken lays an egg. It’s easy to remember … and you don’t even have to worry about which came first.
I overheard someone say that you use the word ‘lie’ when referring to ‘people’ because people ‘lie’ (as in not being truthful) but you would use the word ‘lay’ in referring to an object because objects are unable to ‘lie’ (be untruthful). Would this ‘trick’ in remembering on how to use lie/lay also be correct?
Thanks for the comment, Michelle. The “trick” you mentioned has merit. However, remember that people are not the only entities that can lie (my emotions lie to me).