Grammar Weekly - Lay or Lie?

"Lay" and "lie" are tricky words, in that they get confusing because of their past tense and past participle forms.

Here, we end the confusion once and for all using, as per ushe, sexually explicit examples to keep things interesting.

First, let's discuss the difference between lay and lie.

• Lay is a transitive (meaning it involves a direct object) verb that means "to put or set down."
  E.g., Lay the used condom on the floor to freak out your roommates.
  
• Lie is an intransitive (meaning it does not involve anything or anyone to act on) verb that means "to be or to stay at rest in a horizontal position."
  E.g., Lie down, bitch, and relax your ass because this is one hell of a fist!

Now that you're more confident in the use of "lay" and "lie," let's get to the trickier part: their past tense forms.

• Lay in past tense is laid.
  Incorrect: My roommates freaked out when they saw the used condom that I lay there last night.
  Correct: My roommates freaked out when they saw the used condom that I laid there last night.
  
• Lie in past tense is lay.
  Incorrect: He laid there all morning because his ass was sore.
  Correct: He lay there all morning because his ass was sore.

Not too bad, isn't it? You now think you're going to impress your date when you use "lay" and "lie" in their past tense forms perfectly, don't you? Well, not too fast. We still have the past participles to discuss.

• Lay in past participle form, just like its past tense, is laid.
  E.g., I should not have laid the used condom on the floor for everyone to see because my disgusted roommates repaid my prank by having me eat it.
• Lie in past participle form is lain.
  E.g., I would have lain in bed all day if not for your text message asking me to take you to the hospital, you cheating fist-slut!

Sources:
http://englishplus.com/grammar/00000233.htm
http://www.webster.com