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Object laying on the ground -or- lying on the ground?

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(@dave-karoly)
Posts: 12001
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Every English prof explanation I find of this makes no sense.

It's lie unless it's in the nominative reverse left handed case then obviously it is lay.

 
Posted : May 15, 2018 8:19 am
(@mkennedy)
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I have a recollection (vague, very vague) that 'lie' should be used for animate objects like people and 'lay' is for inanimate objects like books. Just about every time I try to use 'lay' though, it sounds wrong to me.?ÿ

Ah, if the sentence takes a direct object, use lay. I lie down on the couch. I lay down the book on the couch. Because an inanimate object generally won't lie itself down, it uses 'lay.'?ÿ

When you start getting into the past tense and present/past participles--forget it!?ÿ

 
Posted : May 15, 2018 8:45 am
(@loyal)
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For my purposes,?ÿ"found Original Stone...lying...laying... ah screw it...LOOSE on the ground" (problem solved)!

 
Posted : May 15, 2018 10:01 am
(@dgm-pls)
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Could always just put it back where it belongs 😉

 
Posted : May 15, 2018 10:04 am
(@foggyidea)
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I guess if was a fake stone it could be lying on the ground....

According to my Holt Handbook 6th edition, "Lie means to recline and does not take an object ("He likes to lie on the floor"); lay means "to place" or "to put" and does take an object (He wants to lay a rug on the floor).

Obviously the stone was laying on the ground.....

 
Posted : May 15, 2018 10:11 am
(@holy-cow)
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Depends on how truthful it is.

 
Posted : May 15, 2018 11:20 am
(@a-harris)
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Rock can't do nothing, it is simply on the ground, in the ground or underground.

 
Posted : May 15, 2018 11:53 am
(@peter-lothian)
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recumbent at grade

 
Posted : May 16, 2018 9:11 am