Grammar Guidelines

The proper use of "lie" and "lay"   is tough for English speakers to grasp. We get it wrong all of the time. We use forms of "lie" when we mean "lay" and forms of "lay" when we mean "lie." Lie: "to assume a horizontal position on a supporting surface" or to tell a lie. Lay: "to place on a surface." What does it mean to "conjugate?" "To give the different forms of a verb." Let's conjugate "lie" and "lay" so we can understand what form to use when speaking or writing. Conjugation of "lie:" Present                 Past (to take a horizontal position/to tell a lie) (I) lie                                lay/lied (You) lie                          lay/lied (He/She) lies                   lay/lied (We) lie                            lay/lied (They) lie                         lay/lied Participles Gerund = lying Past = lain (to take a horizont