tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post5233796138217634426..comments2024-03-29T05:45:39.184-06:00Comments on Blood-Red Pencil: Are You Lying or Laying?Danihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14471919576687777886noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-11705725891850406192011-08-19T20:42:58.235-06:002011-08-19T20:42:58.235-06:00Heidi - I have a great little reference book, long...Heidi - I have a great little reference book, long out of print, that my kids used in elementary school. It's geared to that level, and that makes it perfect for me!<br /><br />Savannah - good to see you here. And I wish we could make the rules, but I think we're stuck for a while longer.<br /><br />Terry <br /><a href="http://terryodell.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Terry's Place</a><br /><a href="http://www.terryodell.com" rel="nofollow">Romance with a Twist--of Mystery</a>Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-41794848317925017492011-08-19T20:32:22.621-06:002011-08-19T20:32:22.621-06:00Terry, excellent blog on the whole lie/lay thing. ...Terry, excellent blog on the whole lie/lay thing. Really, I think it's time reinvent this whole thing in the English language, given when used correctly, it often doesn't look correct. Not to mention every time I see lying, I think of someone telling an untruth. <br /><br />The current correct usage of lie/lay is simply outdated.Savanna Kougarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15698138048388102279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-44270510996827734572011-08-17T14:04:21.176-06:002011-08-17T14:04:21.176-06:00This may be the #1 "bugaboo" in the Engl...This may be the #1 "bugaboo" in the English language--one that makes me go back to my reference books, even after all these years of writing and editing. Thank you.Heidiwriterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02593338979995203659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-18532978738057757562011-08-17T12:49:40.464-06:002011-08-17T12:49:40.464-06:00Mark - great example.
Terry
Terry's Place
R...Mark - great example. <br /><br />Terry <br /><a href="http://terryodell.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Terry's Place</a><br /><a href="http://www.terryodell.com" rel="nofollow">Romance with a Twist--of Mystery</a>Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-4375428351282409432011-08-17T12:38:50.714-06:002011-08-17T12:38:50.714-06:00I used to get lie and lay confused until I realize...I used to get lie and lay confused until I realized that Bob Dylan is a dunce. Now I just picture him in a dunce cap and have no problem. It's Lie, Lady, Lie, Bob.Mark Troyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10746027017657987261noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-67463609307586141962011-08-17T06:17:23.583-06:002011-08-17T06:17:23.583-06:00Whew! So glad I'm not alone! I write around...Whew! So glad I'm not alone! I write around other words that throw me, but since my current WIP is about dreams there is a lot of laying. Or is it lying? <br /><br />Guess I'll just have to keep coming back to this post to clarify! <br />:-)JMCOOPERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10502579831640494971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-87683862267905693282011-08-16T20:09:50.263-06:002011-08-16T20:09:50.263-06:00Excellent advice. And loved your examples. It'...Excellent advice. And loved your examples. It's not easy to catch these sorts of things. You have to set aside your manuscript for days or weeks, then look at it with "new" eyes, sometimes.Helen Gingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09794759602654727110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-44666471350604858582011-08-16T14:49:33.933-06:002011-08-16T14:49:33.933-06:00Have been enjoying the comments. Loved this from y...Have been enjoying the comments. Loved this from you, Terry: "those typos can drive you nuts. Especially when you know the right spelling, but your fingers simply refuse to obey."<br /><br />From now on I'm blaming all my mistakes on my fingers, not my brain. LOLMaryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-90624367639446381542011-08-16T14:43:49.734-06:002011-08-16T14:43:49.734-06:00Nancy - you're not alone in doing that.
Kathy...Nancy - you're not alone in doing that.<br /><br />Kathyrn - so true. Anything that's perceived as wrong or wonky will yank a reader out of the story, and that's the last thing a writer wants.<br /><br />Terry <br /><a href="http://terryodell.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Terry's Place</a><br /><a href="http://www.terryodell.com" rel="nofollow">Romance with a Twist--of Mystery</a>Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-39600194540770879882011-08-16T14:29:08.323-06:002011-08-16T14:29:08.323-06:00"I have lain in bed all morning."
This ..."I have lain in bed all morning."<br /><br />This is exactly why we write around--when it sounds wrong, even if it's right. The reader will stop and say--is that right?--and get popped from the story.<br /><br />And if you get popped from the story, it's wrong no matter what!Kathryn Crafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08371458857187160425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-7947803049919374302011-08-16T13:17:55.366-06:002011-08-16T13:17:55.366-06:00Hi Terry- thanks! This is a helpful post. I've...Hi Terry- thanks! This is a helpful post. I've gone so far as to remove the words lie and lay all together using something else so I will be correct.<br />Cheers~Nancy J. Parrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10107417252662717576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-23567179013485360912011-08-16T13:02:27.818-06:002011-08-16T13:02:27.818-06:00Great hint, Laura. Thanks for sharing.
Terry
Ter...Great hint, Laura. Thanks for sharing.<br /><br />Terry <br /><a href="http://terryodell.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Terry's Place</a><br /><a href="http://www.terryodell.com" rel="nofollow">Romance with a Twist--of Mystery</a>Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-73261021479107920612011-08-16T11:30:37.212-06:002011-08-16T11:30:37.212-06:00I used to always confuse lie and lay. Now I rememb...I used to always confuse lie and lay. Now I remember it like this: Only people can rest or recline, and only people can lie (as in don't tell the truth) so use LIE with people and LAY with things.Laura S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13934230198562773803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-4387337474776753492011-08-16T11:27:07.867-06:002011-08-16T11:27:07.867-06:00Hollee - we all have our problem children no matte...Hollee - we all have our problem children no matter how long we've tried to make them behave.<br /><br />Terry <br /><a href="http://terryodell.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Terry's Place</a><br /><a href="http://www.terryodell.com" rel="nofollow">Romance with a Twist--of Mystery</a>Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-44274616821697816812011-08-16T11:21:44.001-06:002011-08-16T11:21:44.001-06:00Excellent! Lie/Lay are two of the hardest words to...Excellent! Lie/Lay are two of the hardest words to use correctly. After 35 years as an author and editor, they still drive me nuts!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-63495220061586072442011-08-16T10:41:42.295-06:002011-08-16T10:41:42.295-06:00Maryann - we all have those dreaded write arounds....Maryann - we all have those dreaded write arounds. We can only hope that when we're done, it looks like that's the way we wanted to write it in the first place.<br /><br />Kristie - those typos can drive you nuts. Especially when you know the right spelling, but your fingers simply refuse to obey.<br /><br />Terry <br /><a href="http://terryodell.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Terry's Place</a><br /><a href="http://www.terryodell.com" rel="nofollow">Romance with a Twist--of Mystery</a>Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-66613450284960554832011-08-16T10:33:28.925-06:002011-08-16T10:33:28.925-06:00I had a character bend over at the "waste&quo...I had a character bend over at the "waste" through three rounds of edits and proofreading. Luckily someone caught it in the final round. "Peaking" someone's interest is a pet peeve of mine, but I do trip up on "sneak peek." The "ea" in sneak sticks with me on the next word, I guess. But it is the past tense of lie/lay I have to look up. Every. Single. Time. Like JM, I have a mental block on it. Thanks for clarifying. Maybe it'll finally stick with me! Oh, but now you have me second guessing my usage of wake/awake/awoke/awakened. LOLKristie Cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01649966564896771373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-57859902942645364212011-08-16T10:31:19.880-06:002011-08-16T10:31:19.880-06:00I think we all have one or two grammar things that...I think we all have one or two grammar things that hang us up in the writing. I'm like you, Terry, I will do all I can to write around certain words, some of them being lie and lay. LOLMaryannwriteshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09479027709233807149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-76932883065262594462011-08-16T08:42:17.018-06:002011-08-16T08:42:17.018-06:00JM - I only need to check my grammar book about ev...JM - I only need to check my grammar book about every 5th time I use lay/lie. But I'll do whatever it takes to write around wake/awake/awoke/awakened. <br /><br />Terry <br /><a href="http://terryodell.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">Terry's Place</a><br /><a href="http://www.terryodell.com" rel="nofollow">Romance with a Twist--of Mystery</a>Terry Odellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11610682530545306687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-12085020159439756922011-08-16T08:05:20.186-06:002011-08-16T08:05:20.186-06:00Cool article!Cool article!essayhttp://paramountessays.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-72913589932801460752011-08-16T07:19:38.385-06:002011-08-16T07:19:38.385-06:00I tend to think I'm a decent writer when it co...I tend to think I'm a decent writer when it comes to grammar, but I will admit that the lie/lay thing gets me every single time. Whenever I see the squiggly green underline in my word doc, I KNOW it's going to be on that very mistake. I'm not sure why I have a mental block on thatJMCOOPERhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10502579831640494971noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704943052235281766.post-15985624207719731502011-08-16T06:16:41.346-06:002011-08-16T06:16:41.346-06:00interesting thoughtsinteresting thoughtsessayshttp://essaywriter.org/noreply@blogger.com