lay & lie (verbs)
1. 'to lay' is used only in a transitive sense (thereby requiring a direct object to complete its meaning), whose meaning is "put to rest", and with the following past and participle form "laid".
2. 'to lie' is used only in an intransitive only, hence, it does not require a direct object to complete its meaning and is normally followed by an appropriate preposition- meaning is "be at rest or come to rest", and with the following past and participle forms "lay" and "lain" respectively, but NEVER "laid".
However, confusion even between the words "lay" & "lie" themselves is very common in uneducated talk and still is commoner, sometimes making its way into print, is the use of laid (which belongs to the verb "to lay" only) for "lay", which is the past tense and "lain", which is the past participle of "lie".
For example: WRONG: We laid (lay) out on the grass and could have laid (lain) there all day.
lay & lie (nouns)
"lay" & "lie" are both used in the senses configuration of ground, direction, or position in which something lies (the proper lie or lay of the land); "lie" seems the more reasonable form; "lay" is more usual in US but both words are used in the same sense.
"lay" (adj) means of the people as distinguished from the clergy, i.e., lay helpers in the church; it is also used in the following sense: in a transferred sense, non-professional, not expert, especially in law and medicine, such as 'lay opinions' or 'the view of the layman'.
A 'lay figure' has no connection with any of the English words 'lay', but is from Dutch lead= joint, and means literally 'jointed figure'.
1. 'to lay' is used only in a transitive sense (thereby requiring a direct object to complete its meaning), whose meaning is "put to rest", and with the following past and participle form "laid".
2. 'to lie' is used only in an intransitive only, hence, it does not require a direct object to complete its meaning and is normally followed by an appropriate preposition- meaning is "be at rest or come to rest", and with the following past and participle forms "lay" and "lain" respectively, but NEVER "laid".
However, confusion even between the words "lay" & "lie" themselves is very common in uneducated talk and still is commoner, sometimes making its way into print, is the use of laid (which belongs to the verb "to lay" only) for "lay", which is the past tense and "lain", which is the past participle of "lie".
For example: WRONG: We laid (lay) out on the grass and could have laid (lain) there all day.
lay & lie (nouns)
"lay" & "lie" are both used in the senses configuration of ground, direction, or position in which something lies (the proper lie or lay of the land); "lie" seems the more reasonable form; "lay" is more usual in US but both words are used in the same sense.
"lay" (adj) means of the people as distinguished from the clergy, i.e., lay helpers in the church; it is also used in the following sense: in a transferred sense, non-professional, not expert, especially in law and medicine, such as 'lay opinions' or 'the view of the layman'.
A 'lay figure' has no connection with any of the English words 'lay', but is from Dutch lead= joint, and means literally 'jointed figure'.
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