ELISA ENGLISH's Blog 英語園地

Commonly confused words:

Lay vs. Lie

Lay (tr. v.):  to put or place something / someone.  放置

Lay (present), laid (past), laid (past participle), laying (present participle)

=> I am laying the book on the table now. 

=> I have laid the book on the table already.

=> I laid the book on the table a few minutes ago.

=> I will lay the book on the table in a few minutes.

=> I lay him down on the floor to help alleviate his pain. 

Lie (intr. v & tr. v.) 躺臥, 說謊

1.  Lie (intr. v.):  to recline or rest.  to put oneself in a reclining position

Lie (present), lay (past), lain (past participle), and lying (present participle)

=> I lie on my bed each night to watch nighttime news.

=> Yesterday, I lay on my sofa watching TV instead of on my bed.

=> I have lain on my sofa for hours.

=> I am lying on my bed now as I am feeling really tired.

2.  Lie (intr. v.): to speak falsely with the intent to deceive.

Lie (present), lied (past), lied (past participle), and lying (present participle)

=> We always tell our kids not to lie.

=> He lied about his whereabouts.

=> He has bee lying for his entire life.

3.  Lie (tr. v.): to cause to be in a specific condition by speaking falsely.

Lie (present), lied (past), lied (past participle), and lying (present participle)

=> He has lied himself out of troubles.

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