LIE and LAY (One More Time)

How many times do I have to say it: LAY and LIE are both verbs, yes. But one is active (lay), and one is passive (lie). You lay something (some object) down; then it lies there.

Still confused about “The book lay on the table for two days”? That’s because LAY is also the past tense of “to lie”.

I lay in my bed until six a.m. (Past Tense)
She laid in her bed until noon. (Past Tense)
The book lay on the table for two days because that is where I laid it. (Past Tense)

I lie in bed as long as I wish. (Present Tense)
She is lying in her bed longer. (Present Tense)
The book will still lie on that table for two more days because that's where I laid it. (Lie: Present Tense / Laid: Past Tense)

Got it? Don’t ever let me hear you get it backwards again! (Now I lay me down to sleep… Do you see the object of that verb?)