Common grammatical mistakes made in English: to lay versus to lie.
Learning a language is a process of trial and error. Of course, as a non-native speaker, you will occasionally make mistakes; you can't avoid that.
But if you become aware of some common mistakes, you will be one step closer to professionalising your business English.
A common grammatical error made in English by non-native speakers is the use of lay versus lie, which can also causes native speakers quite some trouble.
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Lay versus lie
- Of course it is understandable that the two forms are mixed up because they are so similar, and particularly the past forms are very confusing. They are in fact :
- To lay - laying - laid - have laid
- To lie - lying - lay - have lain
To lay
To lay means to place (something or someone) down in a flat position. It's important to remember that there has to be a thing or person being placed in this context:
- You can lay that book down there.
To lie
To lie is used for something or someone moving on their own, or for something that's already in position:
- You can lie there all day.
More examples
- The chicken is laying an egg. > The chicken laid an egg yesterday.
- She is lying in bed. > She lay in bed until 10am this morning.
More tips on English grammar and common mistakes in English? These articles might also interest you:
- English grammar: If versus when
- English grammar: Fewer versus less
- English grammar: For versus since
- English grammar: Much versus many
- English grammar: Good, well or right
- English grammar: Which versus who
- English grammar: Present or Present Perfect
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