Which is proper grammar?

Which is proper grammar: Asked by Ndugu 55 months ago Similar questions: proper grammar Arts > Writing.

Lies around the house' is preferred. "Around the house" and "doing nothing" are adverb phrases here, describing where and how the laying/lying action is taking place (but not what it’s being done to), which means neither sentence has a direct object and the verbs are being used intransitively. Merriam-Webster gives this definition for intransitive "lie": 1 a : to be or to stay at rest in a horizontal position : be prostrate : rest, recline This usage is noted at "lay", but it’s not recommended: intransitive verb 1 : to produce and deposit eggs 2 nonstandard : lie 3 : wager, bet 4 dialect : plan, prepareHowever, they explain that the use is common and dates back quite some time: LAY has been used intransitively in the sense of “lie” since the 14th century.

The practice was unremarked until around 1770; attempts to correct it have been a fixture of schoolbooks ever since. Generations of teachers and critics have succeeded in taming most literary and learned writing, but intransitive lay persists in familiar speech and is a bit more common in general prose than one might suspect. Much of the problem lies in the confusing similarity of the principal parts of the two words.

Another influence may be a folk belief that lie is for people and lay is for things. Some commentators are ready to abandon the distinction, suggesting that lay is on the rise socially. But if it does rise to respectability, it is sure to do so slowly: many people have invested effort in learning to keep lie and lay distinct.

Remember that even though many people do use lay for lie, others will judge you unfavorably if you do. I agree with their conclusion. Even if "lay" was used intransitively to mean "lie" in the past, generations have grown up since then learning that you can’t use it that way, so I’d suggest using "lie" here instead to avoid dirty looks.

Merriam-Webster is my first reference for definitions, but it’s considered a "descriptivist" dictionary, that is, one mostly concerned with describing how the language is used in real life, not with laying down rules(*) about which usages are right and which are wrong. So the explanation above is probably the most lenient one you’ll find from any dictionary or English teacher, and if you look elsewhere you’ll find even harsher warnings against using "lays around the house". (* In this sentence, "rules" is the direct object and I’m using the verb "lay" transitively.) Sources: m-w.com .

He lies around the house. Lay is for objects: I lay the book down, he lays the paper on top of the desk. Lie is for people: I lie down, he lies down.

On the other hand, "He lay around the house," would be proper grammar, because 'lay' is the past tense of 'lie'. Confusing, ain't it? The website says it more eloquently:Lay vs. Lie"Lay" and "lie" are often confused--and always confusing."Lay" is a verb meaning to put or place something somewhere.

It takes a direct object. Its principal parts are "lay," "laid," "laid," and "laying." Examples: Every day I lay the book on the table.

Yesterday I laid the book on the table. I have laid the book on the table many times. I am laying the book on the table right now.

In all these examples, the verb is a form of the word "lay," and the direct object is "book. " "Lie" is, in this context, a verb meaning to recline.It does not take an object. Its principal parts are "lie," "lay," "lain," and "lying.

" Examples: Every night I lie down. I lay down last night. I have lain down many times.

I am lying down right now. If you're in doubt about whether to use "lay" or "lie," try substituting a form of the verb "place. " If it makes sense, use a form of "lay.

" And if you have a grammar trap you'd like to see discussed or know of a tip that will help the rest of us avoid a grammar trap, please let us know. Sources: http://www.agriculture.purdue.edu/agcomm/ontarget/grammartrap/lay_lie.htm .

You should use lies. Lie means "to recline or rest" and lay means "to put or place" and can take a direct object. Example: I am going to lie down after I lay these books on the table.

I always tell my students that people lie and chickens lay to help them remember the difference. I think the problem comes in because the past tense of lie is lay, so it can be confusing. And I think only grammar freaks (aka English teachers like me) use have lain in any context.

Sources: my little English teacher brain .

1 Thanks guys. My mother was an English teacher, so I used to use "lies" for everything so she wouldn't ask me if I was producing an egg. Your explanations cleared it up.

See this usage in action at:songfacts.com/detail.php?id=8013 .

Thanks guys. My mother was an English teacher, so I used to use "lies" for everything so she wouldn't ask me if I was producing an egg. Your explanations cleared it up.

See this usage in action at:songfacts.com/detail.php?id=8013.

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Where can I find one? " "CORRECT GRAMMAR: Can you write a sentence for each of these words using them in the proper way.

I have been invited to a wedding shower. What is the proper way to decline in writing? Do you explain why you cannot go?

"It is I who lives my choices" or "It is I who live my choices.

Where can I buy a copy of Tagalog Reference Grammar.

I am looking for Answer Key for 10th grade Writing / Grammar BJU Press 2nd ed. BJ has 3rd edition. Where can I find one?

CORRECT GRAMMAR: Can you write a sentence for each of these words using them in the proper way.

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