I know many writers and even editors have a hard time remembering exactly which of these words is correct in which scenario. This can really be a hard one to remember and some people put on their judgy-pants when you get it wrong. Or they THINK you got it wrong. So, let's get into how you know which word to use.

Lie

The word lie is intransitive, meaning something is moving on its own or is already in position.

"You lie down."

"You lay down."

"You are lying down."

"You have lain down."

Lay

Meanwhile, lay is transitive, meaning there must be a thing or person being placed. You might hear this referred to as 'taking an object'.

"You lay the book down."

"You laid the book down."

"You are laying the book down."

"You have laid the book down."

Knowing that Lay means to set an object down and Lie means to rest or recline can help you remember which to use. But sometimes you just don't have the brain space for one more thing. I know I don't! After the second or third time I was checking to make sure I was right, I created a graphic so I no longer had to keep looking it up.

You can download the helpful graphic above and make space in your brain for other things. Like snappy comebacks to those judgy-pants folks. Just right-click the picture and save it to your device.