Lie and lay. When searching the Web for an answer to the difference between these two verbs, you may be flailing through a nest of terms without ever comprehending the difference. The problem arises with knowing the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs, and that the two words bleed together in their spellings.

Most grammarians will go through the explanations of these terms and spellings, which truthfully are important, but are just plain confusing when you need a quick and simple answer. Most people simply don’t care about all the technical grammar jargon, they just want to know which verb to use. So, here it is, as simply as I can make it:

Lie = the act of reclining or being in a horizontal position (or telling an untruth) – you have to do this yourself to yourself.

Lay = to put something down – you have to do this to something else.

This is bare bones simplicity and you have to remember that “lay” is also a past tense of lie – but that version has nothing to do with the above version of “lay”. It’s one of the hinky irregularities of the English language.

To remember which one to use, just ask yourself - is it your body that is resting/reclining/going horizontal, or an object?

“I have to go lie down before I pass out” – you are putting yourself down. (You can’t lie another person down.)

“I have to lay this crossbow down before I shoot the next grammar geek I see” – you are putting an object down. (You can’t lay yourself down.)

Lie and Lay are complicated because of the cross spellings, but if you stick with this simple trick, you’ll usually be right. Even when you’re getting into all the tenses and transitives, you’ll still have a handle on it with this trick.