Lay past tense

Meaning of lay

to put or place something down carefully in a flat position.

Infinitive

Word: lay /leɪ/

Examples:

1. Every morning, she lays her keys on the kitchen counter to avoid forgetting them.
2. The hen lays an egg almost every day.
3. He always lays his books on the table before he starts his homework.

Past Simple

Word: laid /leɪd/

Examples:

1. The workers carefully laid the foundation for the new building, ensuring it was sturdy and level.
2. After the storm, they laid the fallen branches into a pile for pickup, clearing the pathway for pedestrians.
3. She laid the table with her grandmother's fine china for the special family dinner, wanting everything to be perfect.

Past Participle

Word: laid /leɪd/

Examples:

1. The book was laid on the table gently by the librarian.
2. The foundations of the house had been laid by early spring.
3. The project plan will be laid out by the team during the meeting.

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Bare infinitive

To describe a general action that a person (or subject) does regularly, habitually, or in a universal truth.
Example. I lay the table for dinner every night.
Example. She lays her clothes out for the next day each evening.
Example. Birds lay eggs.

Past Simple

To describe an action that was completed at a specific time in the past.
Example. Yesterday, I laid the book on the table after I finished reading it.
Example. Last week, they laid the foundations for the new building.
Example. He laid his keys somewhere but he can't remember where now.

Past Participle

Used in perfect tenses to talk about actions that happened at an unspecified time or that affect the present.
Example. I have laid the groundwork for the project's success.
Example. They have finally laid the conflict to rest.
Example. She has laid plans for the company's future.
Example. The bricks were laid by skilled workers.
Example. A new carpet has been laid in the living room.
Example. The table was laid for dinner when guests arrived.
Used in passive voice to describe actions done to the subject.
Example. I have laid the groundwork for the project's success.
Example. They have finally laid the conflict to rest.
Example. She has laid plans for the company's future.
Example. The bricks were laid by skilled workers.
Example. A new carpet has been laid in the living room.
Example. The table was laid for dinner when guests arrived.
By understanding these usage cases, you can correctly apply the different forms of 'lay' in your writing and speech to convey the intended action and time frame accurately.
Example. I have laid the groundwork for the project's success.
Example. They have finally laid the conflict to rest.
Example. She has laid plans for the company's future.
Example. The bricks were laid by skilled workers.
Example. A new carpet has been laid in the living room.
Example. The table was laid for dinner when guests arrived.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

A common mistake involves mixing up the verbs 'lay' (to place something down) and 'lie' (to recline). In their past simple forms, 'lay' becomes 'laid' (I laid the book on the table) and 'lie' becomes 'lay' (I lay down for an hour yesterday). For the past participle, 'lay' remains 'laid' (I have laid the papers on your desk), while 'lie' becomes 'lain' (I had lain there for hours). People often say 'lay down' when referring to the past action of themselves, when it should be 'lay' for the past simple of 'lie' and 'lain' for the past participle.

— 02

'Layed' instead of 'laid'

Another common mistake is the creation of the non-existent form 'layed' when trying to use the past simple or past participle form of 'lay.' The correct past simple and past participle form of 'lay' is 'laid.' For example, one should say 'She laid the blanket on the bed,' not 'She layed the blanket on the bed.'

— 03

Forgetting the object with 'lay'

Since 'lay' is a transitive verb, it requires an object. A frequent error is omitting the object when using 'lay' in any tense. For example, it's incorrect to say, 'Yesterday, I laid.' The correct usage is, 'Yesterday, I laid the book on the table,' specifying what was laid down.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'lay'?

The past simple form of 'lay' is 'laid.' It is used to describe an action that took place and was completed in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I laid the book on the table.'

What is the past participle form of 'lay'?

The past participle form of 'lay' is also 'laid.' This form is used in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For example, in the sentence 'The eggs have been laid by the hen,' 'laid' is the past participle form of 'lay.'

How can I use the past participle form of 'lay' in a sentence?

The past participle form of 'lay,' which is 'laid,' can be used in several ways, including in perfect tenses and passive voice. For instance, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'I have laid the keys on the counter.' In the passive voice, an example sentence would be, 'The table was laid by the staff for the event.' Is there a common mistake people make when using 'lay' in the past tense or past participle form