Are You Lying or Laying?

Once again we welcome Terry Odell with a guest post. We like her so well, we have invited her to contribute regularly on the third Tuesday of every month. In keeping with our August theme of Back to School, Terry takes us back to grammar 101. This was covered a couple of years ago in a guest post by Lauri Kubuitsile, an award-winning writer living in Botswana, but it is always good to revisit this topic.

I was reading a book recently where a character saw the "break" lights on the cars. And someone was waiting with "baited" breath. Or the book where a character put "peddle to the metal." And one I've been seeing far too frequently: "peaking" where a character ought to be "peeking" – which is not the same as something "piquing" one's interest.

Are these simply typos missed by copy editors? One would hope that's the case, because if your editors are using Spell Check (or if you are), these aren't going to get flagged. Basic grammatical errors should be avoided, and if copy editors are too busy to catch some of these, then writers need to make sure they know the basics and don't make the mistakes in the first place.

Here's one of the most common problem children:

Lie/Lay (You'll notice the past tense of lie is the same as the present tense of lay, which is probably where the confusion starts.)

LIE:
means to rest or recline (also to remain or be situated)
never takes a direct object
has the following principal parts:

PRESENT INFINITIVE:
Lie

PRESENT PARTICIPLE:
(is) lying

PAST
lay

PAST PARTICIPLE:
(has) lain

LAY:
means to put or place (something)
usually takes a direct object: a word that tells what was placed
has the following principal parts:

PRESENT INFINITIVE:
lay

PRESENT PARTICIPLE:
(is) laying

PAST
laid

PAST PARTICIPLE:
(has) laid

Some examples:
LIE
If you're tired, lie down and take a nap.
Mother is lying down because she has a headache.
Your shoes are lying on the floor in your room.

Last summer, we lay on the beach every day.
The books lay unopened on my desk for three days.

I have lain in bed all morning.

LAY
Lay the baby down gently.
I was laying a new floor in the basement.
I laid my packages on the counter and sat down.
I have laid my cards on the table.

Hope this helps a little and doesn't add to your confusion.

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Terry Odell is the author of numerous romantic suspense novels, as well as contemporary romance short stories. Most of her books are available in both print and digital formats. She’s the author of the Blackthorne, Inc. series, steamy romantic suspense novels featuring a team of covert ops specialists. To see all her books, visit her Web site. You can also find her at her blog, Terry's Place, as well as follow her on Twitter, or visit her Facebook page.

Posted by Maryann Miller who has never met a present participle she ever liked, whether it was lying or laying.