Grammar Check: Lie vs. Lay

The misuse of lie and lay is likely the most common error I encounter.

Lie and lay are two different present-tense verbs.

Examples:

I like to lie on the beach.
I lay the book on the table.

The present participle (-ing form) of each is lying and laying, respectively.

Examples:

I am lying on the beach.
I am laying the book on the table.

The past tense:

This is where it can get confusing!  The word “lay” is not only a verb in the present tense; it is also the past tense of “lie.”

The past tense of lie is lay.
The past tense of lay is laid.

Examples:

Yesterday I lay on the beach and watched the waves.
Last night I laid the book on the table before I made dinner.

What is the definition of each word?

Lie: To adopt a horizontal position.
Lay: To set something down.

What not to do!

The error I see most often is the incorrect use of the word lay to indicate the present tense lie.

Examples of incorrect sentences: I like to lay on the beach. // I am laying on the beach.

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Please note: I intentionally omitted from this article other definitions of each word, such as to say something false (to lie) and focused on the area in which the words are unintentionally mistaken for one another. Also, for brevity, I included only three forms of each verb: the present tense, the present participle, and the past tense.