Lie vs Lay

The verbs to lie and to lay are quite problematic for English students. The reason why they are so confusing is their irregular Past and Perfect forms.

Let's begin with the verb to lay, which means to put or place sth. It's quite easy to remember the irregular forms because they are similar pay - paid - paid:

lay - laid - laid, e.g.
She has laid her hand on my shoulder.
He laid the money on the table as they walked out.

However, the verb to lie may be both regular and irregular. Let's start with the regular form, which means not to tell the truth:

lie - lied - lied, e.g.
She lied about her age.
I have never lied to you!

The irregular form means to be in a position in which your body is flat on the floor, on a bed etc. And here come the irregular forms:

lie - lay - lain, e.g.
For a few minutes he just lay on his bed.
Don't lie in the sun for too long.

Please note that the gerund form of the verb to lie is lying.

TEST YOURSELF
1. He …....... on the track for five minutes before being rescued by two friends who were also out riding.
2. I looked at her face and just knew that she was …....... .
3. The camera never …………..
4. I could tell from her face that she was ………….
5. They ………… flowers at the place where so many people died. (past)
6. He was …………. on the bed smoking a cigarette.
7. I would never ………… to you.
8. The dog was …………… dead on the floor.
9. Libby switched off the light and …....... on the couch, staring into the darkness.
10. We ……….. flowers on her grave once a week.
11. The children's clothes were …....... all over the bedroom floor.
12. It was an invention which …....... the foundations of modern radio technology.
13. Almost every night I …....... awake in bed worrying about my family.
14. The project involved …....... an oil pipeline across the desert.
15. Her packed suitcase was …....... near the door.
16. The carpet was …....... last week.