http://blogs.e-rockford.com/woodonwords/2008/07/03/all-things-being-equal/ Can't get enough words about words with Sunday's newspaper column? Then this blog's for you, my word-craving friend. I work the late shift, so don't look for responses until the next day. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:41:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.4 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/woodonwords/2008/07/03/all-things-being-equal/#comment-78 Barry Wood Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:07:03 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/woodonwords/2008/07/03/all-things-being-equal/#comment-78 I intend to write an entire book about "lay" and "lie," so I don't want to give away the ending here. Briefly, "lay" requires an object, something to be acted upon. You lay a book on a table. The book doesn't do anything except lie on the table. The two most common errors: Something is "lying" around, not "laying." He "lay" down after lunch for a nap, not "laid." The verb forms are: lie (present tense), lay (past tense) lain (past participle) lying (present participle) For the "lie" that's about not telling the truth, it's lie, lied, lied, lying. For lay, lay (present), laid (past and past participle), laying (present participle) Whenever you hear someone say "laying," it probably should be "lying." And that's the truth. I intend to write an entire book about “lay” and “lie,” so I don’t want to give away the ending here. Briefly, “lay” requires an object, something to be acted upon. You lay a book on a table. The book doesn’t do anything except lie on the table.
The two most common errors:
Something is “lying” around, not “laying.”
He “lay” down after lunch for a nap, not “laid.”
The verb forms are:
lie (present tense), lay (past tense) lain (past participle) lying (present participle)
For the “lie” that’s about not telling the truth, it’s lie, lied, lied, lying.
For lay, lay (present), laid (past and past participle), laying (present participle)
Whenever you hear someone say “laying,” it probably should be “lying.” And that’s the truth.

]]> http://blogs.e-rockford.com/woodonwords/2008/07/03/all-things-being-equal/#comment-75 Leonardo duh Vinci Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:33:57 +0000 http://blogs.e-rockford.com/woodonwords/2008/07/03/all-things-being-equal/#comment-75 All things are not equal when I use the words LAID and LAYED. Can you explain or demonstrate a rule of thumb on the two? All things are not equal when I use the words LAID and LAYED.
Can you explain or demonstrate a rule of thumb on the two?

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