Martha’s Handy-Dandy Clip-and-Save Chart for “Lie” and “Lay”
- Lie — to “repose or recline”
- Present Tense — Today I lie on the couch.
- Past Tense — Yesterday I lay on the couch for two hours.
- Part Participle — Every day this week, I have lain on the couch for two hours.
- Lay — to “put or place”
- Present Tense - He lay his checkbook on the table.
- Past Tense — Yesterday he laid his checkbook on the table.
- Part Participle — Every day this week, he has laid his checkbook on the table.
Present Tense | Past Tense | Past Participle |
Lie Lay | Lay Laid | Lain Laid |