Lay and lie are two terms that sound alike, but are commonly misused.  This quick grammar guide will help you differentiate the two so you can use them properly in the future.

Lay vs. Lie Present Tense

Let’s begin by looking at lay versus lie in the present tense.  The main difference between lay and lie is that lay requires the use of a direct object.  Lay refers to setting something down, and that item that is set down is the direct object.  For instance:

Lay the fork down on the table.  

The fork is the direct object, and you are setting or placing it down somewhere in the present tense.

Lie, on the other hand, has to do with reclining.  It does not use a direct object.  For instance:

I lie on the bed.

There is no direct object used above.  Instead, it is just you that is reclining in the present tense.

Lay vs. Lie Past Tense

Lay versus lie gets much trickier when we begin to talk about the past tense.  Why?  The past tense of lie is lay.  The easiest way to figure out the difference between lay and lie in the past tense is to use a simple table, such as this:

Present Tense   Past Tense      Past Participle

Lie                     Lay                Lain

Lay*                  Laid               Laid

*Requires an object

Here are examples of how to conjugate these verbs:

Lie converts to lay in the past tense, so

Yesterday, John lay down on the sofa.

The dog lay in the grass all day yesterday.

Lay converts to laid in the past tense, so

Yesterday, I laid the book on the table.

John laid the laptop on the desk.

Lain is the past participle of lie, so

Brad has lain on the couch for hours.

The lazy dog has lain on the grass for days.

Laid is the past participle of lay, so

I have laid the book on the coffee table.

John has laid the laptop on the desk.

Lay versus lie can get confusing, so don’t feel bad if you have to look at a table every now and then to refresh yourself on their proper usage.