When I was in high school, people used to say "laying out" when referring to catching rays at the pool or the beach. At the time I remember thinking they should have worn sunscreen, but it didn't occur to me that they also should have said "lying out." But now I know better!

I still hear this mistake frequently, so I thought it was worth a blog post about the difference between lay and lie.

To lay requires a direct object (you lay something down/out):

• Every morning I lay the envelope on the desk so he can see it.
• I always lay a towel on the floor to prevent water from getting all over the bathroom.
• It's smart to lay out a plan of action before every game.

The past tense of to lay is laid:

• Every morning I laid the envelope on the desk so he could see it.
• I always laid a towel on the floor to prevent water from getting all over the bathroom.
• She laid out a plan of action before every game.

To lie doesn't have a direct object:

• Every evening I lie on my bed and think about grammar.
• Even though it's bad for her skin, she lies out in the sun.
• She needs a game plan to keep her team from lying down and losing.

Now here's where it gets confusing--the past tense of to lie is lay:

• Every evening last summer I lay on my bed and thought about grammar.
• Even though she knew it was bad for her skin, she lay out in the sun for hours every day.
• Despite the game plan, her team lay down and lost.

To summarize:

• Today you lie on your bed.
• Today you lay your head on your pillow.
• Yesterday you lay on your bed.
• Yesterday you laid your head on your pillow.

I realize what a head-scratcher this can be, so if after reading this post you want to go lie down and lay your head on a pillow, I won't blame you!

-Maria

Maria Murnane is the best-selling author of the Waverly Bryson series, Cassidy Lane, Katwalk, Wait for the Rain, and Bridges. She also provides consulting services to aspiring and published authors. Have questions? You can find her at www.mariamurnane.com.

This blog post originally appeared on CreateSpace.com. Reprinted with permission. © 2017 CreateSpace, a DBA of On-Demand Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.