I'm writing a story. Please tell me if this is correct:
"He stepped back from where Sheikh lay..."
Should "lay" be laid? Or lie? Or lied? (Usually good with grammar but confused in this one area.) Thanks.
2007-12-07 12:07:35 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
its "lay"
2007-12-07 12:11:13 · answer #1 · answered by Becca 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tiger Toy is wrong. The past participle of 'to lie' is 'lain', not 'laid'.
The verb 'to lie' is an intransitive verb, meaning that it doesn't have an object, whereas 'to lay' is transitive and needs one.
The easiest way to remember is that you must lay something (usually somewhere) but you cannot lie something.
For example, I lay the book on the table before I lie down in bed.
The confusion is not helped due to the past tense of 'to lie' being 'lay'.
2007-12-07 12:29:05 · answer #2 · answered by coldandtired 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your first thought is best. "Where the Sheikh lay..." is correct.
Laid is the past participle of 'to lie or to lay".
2007-12-07 12:16:51 · answer #3 · answered by Tiger Toy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's lay there's a certain way you can tell but it escapes me at the moment....
2007-12-07 12:15:39 · answer #4 · answered by Wolfboy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You got it right.
2007-12-07 13:21:51 · answer #5 · answered by drshorty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋