How to Write Right: Lay vs. Lie
- — August 1, 2008
Advice from our Copyeditor
Had a long day? Feel like laying down? Wait a moment. “Lay” needs a direct object (a person or thing that is the object of the verb’s action). So you don’t lay down, you lay something down: you might lay your firstborn child down in her crib, but you lie down if you’re doing it yourself.
We call verbs like “lay” that need direct objects transitive verbs, while verbs like “lie,” which don’t take a direct object, are intransitive verbs. So next time you’re tired, take a deep breath, lay down whatever you are holding, and lie down.
