Lie and Lay in all their Nakedness

These two culprits are common causes for writers’ confusion. No wonder, they are so similar in form and meaning. To complicate matters even more, lie can show up as a verb and a noun. And lay as a verb, noun, and even an adjective. Let’s make it clear once and for all.

Lie

As a verb:

to be or to stay at rest in a horizontal position
to assume a horizontal position (lie down)
to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive or to create a false or misleading impression
a statement the speaker or writer knows to be untrue with intent to deceive or an untrue or inaccurate statement that may or may not be believed true by the speaker or writer
to have sexual intercourse (lie with)
to be in a helpless or defenseless state (lie at mercy of…)
to have direction or to occupy a certain relative place or position (lie to the east, lie behind him…)
to have an effect through presence, weight, or relative position (worry lies on his shoulders)

	Lie
Present tense	lie
Past tense	lay
Past participle	lain
Present participle	lying

As a noun:

the position or situation in which something lies (the lie of the beast)
something stated that misleads or deceives

Singular	Plural
lie	lies

Lay

As a verb:

to put or set down
to place for rest or sleep
to beat or strike down with force
to bring forth and deposit (hens lay eggs)
to impose as a duty, burden, or punishment (lay a tax)
to place (something not material) on something (lay stress on behavior)
to bring to a specified condition (lay waste)
to submit for examination and judgment
a partner for or act of sex

	Lay
Present tense	lay
Past tense	laid
Past participle	laid
Present participle	laying

As a noun:

the way in which a thing lies or is laid in relation to something else (the lay of the country)
the state of one that lays eggs (fish coming into lay)

Singular	Plural
lay	lays

As an adjective:

of or relating to members of a religious house occupied with domestic or manual work (lay monk)
not of a particular profession, lacking extensive knowledge of a particular subject (the lay public)

And what is the problem?

As said and shown, these two words have similar forms and meanings. A slip of a finger can easily end up in an incorrect sentence. Or it is simply hard to remember the small differences and use lie and lay correctly.