Grammar question laid vs lay

[mporn595]

I've spent a bit of time searching before I asked the question so here goes...

Joe laid down on his back.

VS
Joe lay down on his back.

Lay down is correct but it sounds awkward.

How have y'all overcome this?

 

[TarnishedPenny]

From ProofreadingPal at https://proofreadingpal.com/proofreading-pulse/editing-tools/lie-vs-lay-vs-lied-vs-laid-vs-lain/

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One of the hardest irregular verbs in English to use properly is “to lie,” and another is “to lay.” Between the two of them, you often can’t tell if you’re lying about laying or laying about lying. The verbs have a multitude of overlapping meanings, and then they’re conjugated differently while being spelled the same.

However, you can become an expert if we take it one step at a time. And we’ll start with the hardest one.

Meanings: Lie vs. Lay

“To lie” has a different meaning from “to lay.”

1. To lie: To recline.
2. To lay: To place something somewhere.

Technically, we’re talking about the difference between an intransitive and a transitive verb, but we don’t have to get all technical. The first [to lie] you do all on your own. The second [to lay] you do to something else. In other words, “to lay” requires a thing (i.e., an object) to lay.*

All of which wouldn’t be so bad, except that the past tense of “to lie” is, of all things, “lay.”

So, if I am reclining on the bed or easy chair, “to lie” works this way:

I/You/We/They lie down.
She/He lies down.
I am lying down.
You/We/They are lying down.
She/He is lying down.
I/You/She/He/We/They lay down. (This is past tense!)
I/You/She/He/We/They will lie down.
I/You/We/They have lain down.
She/He has lain down.


The following are correct:

Sally lies on the sofa and watches TV. Yesterday, she lay on the same sofa, but she will not lie there tomorrow. I’m going to lie down on it instead.


Now, when I’m doing the action to something else, I use “to lay”:

I/You/We/They lay the book on the table.
She/He lays the book on the table.
I am laying the book on the table.
You/ We/They are laying the book on the table.
She/He is laying the book on the table.
I/You/She/He/We/They laid the book on the table.
I/You/She/He/We/They will lay the book on the table.
I/You/We/They have laid the book on the table.
S/He has laid the book on the table.


The following are correct: That chicken has laid an egg every day for weeks, but yesterday it did not lay an egg. It better be laying an egg right now.


So, by themselves, the words are not so bad. And you’ll keep from being confused if you take note of the important bits: While “lay” is the past tense of “to lie,” all tenses of “to lay” use some form of “lay.” Also, “laid” follows familiar rules as the past tense of “to lay” (e.g., say/said, pay/paid). So really, the only crossover between “to lie” and “to lay” are on the “to lie” side with “lay” and “lain” in the past.

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So, not being a grammarian, I would say 'Joe lay down', because it's him doing it as opposed to him placing something else down.

 

[mporn595]

Thank you. I will just have to adjust my thinking.

 

[stickygirl]

From ProofreadingPal at https://proofreadingpal.com/proofreading-pulse/editing-tools/lie-vs-lay-vs-lied-vs-laid-vs-lain/

++++++++++++++

One of the hardest irregular verbs in English to use properly is “to lie,” and another is “to lay.” Between the two of them, you often can’t tell if you’re lying about laying or laying about lying. The verbs have a multitude of overlapping meanings, and then they’re conjugated differently while being spelled the same.

However, you can become an expert if we take it one step at a time. And we’ll start with the hardest one.

Meanings: Lie vs. Lay

“To lie” has a different meaning from “to lay.”

1. To lie: To recline.
2. To lay: To place something somewhere.

Technically, we’re talking about the difference between an intransitive and a transitive verb, but we don’t have to get all technical. The first [to lie] you do all on your own. The second [to lay] you do to something else. In other words, “to lay” requires a thing (i.e., an object) to lay.*

All of which wouldn’t be so bad, except that the past tense of “to lie” is, of all things, “lay.”

So, if I am reclining on the bed or easy chair, “to lie” works this way:

I/You/We/They lie down.
She/He lies down.
I am lying down.
You/We/They are lying down.
She/He is lying down.
I/You/She/He/We/They lay down. (This is past tense!)
I/You/She/He/We/They will lie down.
I/You/We/They have lain down.
She/He has lain down.


The following are correct:

Sally lies on the sofa and watches TV. Yesterday, she lay on the same sofa, but she will not lie there tomorrow. I’m going to lie down on it instead.


Now, when I’m doing the action to something else, I use “to lay”:

I/You/We/They lay the book on the table.
She/He lays the book on the table.
I am laying the book on the table.
You/ We/They are laying the book on the table.
She/He is laying the book on the table.
I/You/She/He/We/They laid the book on the table.
I/You/She/He/We/They will lay the book on the table.
I/You/We/They have laid the book on the table.
S/He has laid the book on the table.


The following are correct: That chicken has laid an egg every day for weeks, but yesterday it did not lay an egg. It better be laying an egg right now.


So, by themselves, the words are not so bad. And you’ll keep from being confused if you take note of the important bits: While “lay” is the past tense of “to lie,” all tenses of “to lay” use some form of “lay.” Also, “laid” follows familiar rules as the past tense of “to lay” (e.g., say/said, pay/paid). So really, the only crossover between “to lie” and “to lay” are on the “to lie” side with “lay” and “lain” in the past.

============

So, not being a grammarian, I would say 'Joe lay down', because it's him doing it as opposed to him placing something else down.

I get so hot when you talk that way

 

[rockcasbah]

Just ask Eric Clapton.

 

[Wat_Tyler]

Or Bob Dylan.

 

[TallMan69]

From ProofreadingPal at https://proofreadingpal.com/proofreading-pulse/editing-tools/lie-vs-lay-vs-lied-vs-laid-vs-lain/

++++++++++++++

One of the hardest irregular verbs in English to use properly is “to lie,” and another is “to lay.” Between the two of them, you often can’t tell if you’re lying about laying or laying about lying. The verbs have a multitude of overlapping meanings, and then they’re conjugated differently while being spelled the same.

However, you can become an expert if we take it one step at a time. And we’ll start with the hardest one.

Meanings: Lie vs. Lay

“To lie” has a different meaning from “to lay.”

1. To lie: To recline.
2. To lay: To place something somewhere.

Technically, we’re talking about the difference between an intransitive and a transitive verb, but we don’t have to get all technical. The first [to lie] you do all on your own. The second [to lay] you do to something else. In other words, “to lay” requires a thing (i.e., an object) to lay.*

All of which wouldn’t be so bad, except that the past tense of “to lie” is, of all things, “lay.”

So, if I am reclining on the bed or easy chair, “to lie” works this way:

I/You/We/They lie down.
She/He lies down.
I am lying down.
You/We/They are lying down.
She/He is lying down.
I/You/She/He/We/They lay down. (This is past tense!)
I/You/She/He/We/They will lie down.
I/You/We/They have lain down.
She/He has lain down.


The following are correct:

Sally lies on the sofa and watches TV. Yesterday, she lay on the same sofa, but she will not lie there tomorrow. I’m going to lie down on it instead.


Now, when I’m doing the action to something else, I use “to lay”:

I/You/We/They lay the book on the table.
She/He lays the book on the table.
I am laying the book on the table.
You/ We/They are laying the book on the table.
She/He is laying the book on the table.
I/You/She/He/We/They laid the book on the table.
I/You/She/He/We/They will lay the book on the table.
I/You/We/They have laid the book on the table.
S/He has laid the book on the table.


The following are correct: That chicken has laid an egg every day for weeks, but yesterday it did not lay an egg. It better be laying an egg right now.


So, by themselves, the words are not so bad. And you’ll keep from being confused if you take note of the important bits: While “lay” is the past tense of “to lie,” all tenses of “to lay” use some form of “lay.” Also, “laid” follows familiar rules as the past tense of “to lay” (e.g., say/said, pay/paid). So really, the only crossover between “to lie” and “to lay” are on the “to lie” side with “lay” and “lain” in the past.

============

So, not being a grammarian, I would say 'Joe lay down', because it's him doing it as opposed to him placing something else down.

Lay baby lay
Lay across my big brass bed …

 

[Dribble]

Lay baby lay
Lay across my big brass bed …

I prefer Clapton's Layla...still about the same woman

 

[silver gurl]

I long to see the morning light
Color in your face so dreamily
So don't you go and say goodbye
You can lay your worries down and stay with me
And don't you ever leave

Lay down, Sally, and rest here in my arms
Don't you think you want someone to talk to?
Lay down, Sally, there's no need to leave so soon
I've been trying all night long just to talk to you

 

[twister947]

Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down.

 

[Champakian]

Lie lady lie, lie across my big brass bed...

So I can lay you and you can lie about how good I was.

 

[rockcasbah]

Or Bob Dylan.

The Grammys are short for the Grammarian Awards.

 

[FataMorgana]

I was so full of artic roll I went and lid down.