Confusing Words: ‘Lay’ & ‘Lie’

Most of us have been confused while using the words ‘lay’ and ‘lie’. In this article, you will get to know the appropriate usage of the two words.
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Lay or Lie - where and when?
Lay and Lie both are commonly used words in the English language but it is also one of the most confused pair of words in English. Let’s try to understand the difference between these two words.Lie means to recline and lay means to put down.
The distinction is simple. Lay needs an object—something being laid—while lie cannot have an object.
For example, you might lay a book on the table, lay a sweater on the bed, or lay a child in her crib. When you feel tired at the end of the day, you may lie down
The different forms of both the verbs lay and lie are:
Verb Present Tense Past tense Past Participle Present Participle
Lay Lay Laid Laid Laying
Lie Lie Lay Lain Lying
Let’s see few examples to understand the usage of the words in different forms:
Lie
I lie here every day. (He/she/it lies here.)
I lay here yesterday.
I will lie here tomorrow.
I am lying here right now.
I have lain here every day for years.
Lay
I lay my book on the table every night before turning out the light. (He/she lays his/her book on the table.)
I laid my book on the table last night.
I will lay my book on the table tonight.
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I am laying my book on the table right now.
I have laid my book on the table every night for years.
Hence, the difference between the two is simple and basic.
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