SELLING STORYTELLING by Mark Canter: The Correct Way to Get Laid

Monday, December 12, 2011

The Correct Way to Get Laid

I made these dummy notes to fix my own grammar on this quirky English verb.

The verb is lay. It takes a thing. (mnemonic: lay thing = plaything) Laid is its past. Laying is its present.

Lie means reclining. It does not take a thing. Its past is lay. Its past (with “have”or “has”) is lain. Its present is lying.

PRESENT:

I am laying the book on the table. The guy is laying the blame on him.

I am lying in bed. I am lying on my back.

WRONG: He is laying on the beach. I am laying down. He lays on the beach all day. I will lay down.

RIGHT: He is lying on the beach. I am lying down. He lies on the beach all day. I will lie down.

PAST:

I laid the book on the table. The guy laid the blame on him.

He lay on the beach all day. He has lain on the beach all day. I lay down yesterday. I have lain down all day.

FUTURE:

I will lay the book on the table. The guy will try to lay the blame on him.

I think I will lie down and take a nap. I’ll lie on my stomach for a while.

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