Tricky Words that are Often Misused: lay/lie

LAY means to put something down. Something is being done to the subject.
The most common verb forms of LAY are:

lay (present), laid (past), and laid (past participle).

Ex:
Present tense: I lay down my pencil and pick up the eraser.
Past tense: I laid down my pencil and picked up the eraser.
Past participle: I had laid the pencil on my book and closed it. No wonder I couldn’t find it.

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LIE means to recline. The subject is doing something to itself.
The most common verb forms of LIE are:

lie (present), lay (past), and lain (past participle).

Ex:
Present tense: I lie down on the floor and curl up in a little ball.
Past tense: Yesterday, Susie lay on the couch all day thinking about the history test she failed.
Past participle: The previous week, Susie had lain around for three days instead of studying for her history test.

If you are writing a novel in third person past tense, writing—Susie laid down on her bed—is wrong. It should read—Susie lay down on her bed.

When you go back to rewrite your work, keep a sharp eye for incorrect use of lie and lay.