 Using lie and lay correctly. Which one should I use? Lie or lay? You need to know when to use the words lie and lay. Lie means to recline, to be in a prone position, or to exist. Lay means to place, to put, or to set. In this activity you will view sample sentences that include the words lie and lay. Take time to study how these two words are used. Lie. You are in a prone position, perhaps on a sofa or a bed. You recline. Objects or people rest in a place. For example, they lie in their beds. Lay. You place an object on a surface, such as on a table or desk. You set something in place. For example, you lay your book on the shelf. Note that lie and lay are verbs. Lie is an irregular verb. The forms are lie, lying, lay, or lain. The past tense of lie is lay, and the past participle is lain. Lay is also an irregular verb. The forms are lay, laying, and laid. Layed is the past tense and the past participle of lay. Let's study the use of the word lie in these sentences. He lies in his bed every night. That's present tense. He lay in his bed last night. That's past tense. He was lying in his bed when the phone rang. That's past progressive tense. He has lain in the hospital bed for three days. That's present perfect tense. The papers usually lie on her desk. That's present tense. The letters lay on her desk last week. That's past tense. The files were lying on his desk when the phone rang. That's past progressive tense. The notes had lain on his desk for two days before he read them. That's past perfect tense. Let's study another use of the word lie. Canada lies north of the United States. Mexico lies south of the United States. Now, let's study the use of the word lay in these sentences. She usually lays her book on the table. That's present tense. She laid her book on the table yesterday. That's past tense. She was laying her books on the table when the phone rang. That's past progressive tense. She has laid her books on that table since the beginning of the semester. That's present perfect tense. Now you can practice what you've learned. See if you can choose the correct verb for each sentence. Tom usually lays his pens on his desk. Linda is going to lay a few library books on her desk. My brother was lying on the sofa when I came home. I thought that I had lost my checkbook, but it was lying on the dresser. Alex was getting ready to bake, so he read the recipe and laid the ingredients on the counter. Marla is ill, and she has lain in the hospital bed for a week. Would you please lay your book down for a minute and help me with these boxes? You have completed this activity using lie and lay correctly.