NBR: Lay vs. Lie

RufflesRambo · December 2008

Pet peeve of mine and most people don't know the correct usage. "Lay" is a transitive verb that requires an object - as in, you lay something down. "Lie" is a non-transitive verb and does not require an object - you lie down.

Examples:

The baby was lying on the counter.

I laid the baby on the counter.

Got it?

iris427 · December 2008

LOL thank you

Tinsleigh75 · December 2008

oh ruffles, i pph you.

jennessey · December 2008

Haha! Love it.

Amy Drinkwater · December 2008

What about when you tell the dog to go to bed? ?H tells him "go lie down" and everyone else says "go lay down." ?I never knew what was correct so I just say "go to bed."

barkers4jmm · December 2008

I knew that.

Here's another: Regardless or Irregardless. There is no such word as irregardless people.

RufflesRambo · December 2008

Tinsleigh75:

oh ruffles, i pph you.

Yay!!

Brookie-Cookie · December 2008

My personal pet peeve is alot! A LOT people, 2 words!

Amy Drinkwater · December 2008

barkers4jmm:
I knew that.
Here's another:? Regardless or Irregardless.? There is no such word as irregardless people.

I HATE that one!!!! ?Irregardless pisses me off, and there are several higher-ups at my company that say it ALL.THE.TIME.?

Amy Drinkwater · December 2008

barkers4jmm:
I knew that.
Here's another:? Regardless or Irregardless.? There is no such word as irregardless people.

I HATE that one!!!! ?Irregardless pisses me off, and there are several higher-ups at my company that say it ALL.THE.TIME.?

candreco · December 2008

Tinsleigh75:

oh ruffles, i pph you.

Ditto! Good grammar makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

sweetpea814 · December 2008

Even worse...I know someone actually who says "irregardlessly" all the time. UGH!

KittenGator · December 2008

I love grammar PSAs

brandonswife07 · December 2008

also: "agreeance" is not a word.

"we are in agreement" NOT "we are in agreeance."

when in doubt, "we agree."

KittenGator · December 2008

Amy Drinkwater:
What about when you tell the dog to go to bed? ?H tells him "go lie down" and everyone else says "go lay down." ?I never knew what was correct so I just say "go to bed."

lol, I like how you escape the possibility of not being grammatically correct ;D

The dog lies down. If you're holding the dog, you lay him down.?

preg_amy · December 2008

My high school English teacher used to say, "If you're not laying on the couch, you're lying on the couch." Haha!

sweetpea814 · December 2008

ooops, should read: "who actually"

Echowysp · December 2008

I use the "chicken lays an egg" trick to remember.

Joes_love · December 2008

my pet peeve is lose vs loose. and they're/their/there and to/too/two

okay, so i have lots of pet peeves...but i'm guilty of the lay/lie one.

oh- and hanged vs hung. curtains are hung, people are hanged.

k8elee03 · December 2008

Agreeance :::shudders:::

I think part of the problem with this one is that the past tense of "lie" is "lay." So today I will lie by the pool, but yesterday I lay by the pool. It sounds weird, it is weird, and it's probably just a matter of time before it's dropped altogether. That's how the language changes.