A humorous and helpful blog post appeared yesterday on The Chronicle of Higher Education. Do you know how to properly use the word “lain”? For those who get confused about when to use “lie” and “lay,” this post offers some useful hints. Remember that “lie” is intransitive—which doesn’t require an object—while “lay” is transitive—meaning an object must follow, as in, “Lay the book (direct object) on the table.” “Lain” is the past participle of “lie,” as in “I'm tired, so I shall lie down and take a nap.” To put this verb in past tense, one could say, “I was tired, so I lain down to take a nap.” We don’t use such a construction very often, but this short article is a good reminder to be aware of the quirks of our language. While linguistics is an ever-evolving field, and we all make mistakes sometimes, it’s a good idea to revisit these rules every now and then. Challenge yourself today to use "lain" in a sentence, and see what reaction you get!
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AuthorDr. Spivey is a college English professor and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. Archives
October 2017
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