lie vs lay

More tricky words to look for in your writing.

Today, I’m going to review some of the words that are frequently misused and can yank your reader right out of the message you have for them. I wasn’t going to address them in this series, but because I almost used the wrong word just the other day, (I’ve learned to proofread even my Facebook posts!) I thought I should include them. It is imperative to take extra care when using these words because an error will certainly be noticed at the most inopportune time.

It’s vs Its

It’s is the contraction of “it is.” Its is the possessive form of it.

It’s a shame that the dog lost its favorite toy.

Lay, Lie, Lie

This one deserves special attention and is a major problem for many. If you struggle with remembering which word to use–or if you’ve never considered that there might be a problem–please look these up every time, get a sticky note, or bookmark this post. 🙂 The problem occurs not only in definition but in the tenses.

Lay means “to put or place.” Lie means “to recline” or “to tell a falsehood.”

I cannot lie. I want to lie down and take a nap. Please lay my phone on the kitchen counter so I won’t hear it.

Ok, not so bad, right? But here comes the tricky part. I am lying on the couch to watch TV. Yesterday I lay (not laid) on the couch all afternoon. I have often lain (not laid) on the couch to watch a movie. 

But wait! There’s more! Your keys are laying on the counter. He laid your keys on the counter. You have laid (not lain) your keys on the counter every afternoon. 

And if that’s not enough—there’s one more, but it’s easy. They are lying about where they were last night. The judge determined that she lied to him. He has lied before.

I know. My copy of “The Blue Book of Grammar” is dog-eared and highlighted on this page because I refer to it often. If you would like some practice with these words, their website has a quiz to help. Go to https://www.grammarbook.com/grammar_quiz/lie_vs_lay_1.asp and give it a go. It will be worth the effort if it causes you to pause and take notice when writing that you are using the words correctly.

Lay vs. Lie

Lose vs. Loose

Loose is the opposite of tight, while lose means to “misplace” or “to be defeated.”

Because her shoelaces are too loose, the judges expect that she will lose the competition.

Passed vs. Past

Passed means “gone ahead of” or “approved,” while past means “a former time” or “beyond.”

The young rookie passed the veteran in the race, which would not have happened in the past.

Than vs. Then

I see this one misused often. Than is used to compare. Then means “after that” or “next.”

Then I read “Pride and Prejudice,” which was better than the movie.

They’re, Their, There

Yes, this is the one I almost misused. My mind wandered, and I typed the wrong word. I saw it before I sent the post, but it would have been easy for me to miss it because I don’t usually mix them up, and if I hadn’t checked—well, my credibility as a proofreader could have suffered.

They’re is a contraction for “they are,” there indicates “that place,” and their is possessive.

They’re always looking for a reason to go there for dinner because it is their favorite restaurant.

Two, Too, To

Two is the word form of the number after one. Too means “excessive” or “also.” To is a preposition meaning “in the direction of; toward.”

Two of the politicians took their platforms too far to the right.

Who’s vs. Whose

Who’s is a contraction for “who is.” Whose is the possessive of who.

Who’s the author whose book went on to sell one million copies?

Hint: Many of the words above are contractions that can be confused with their homophones. When reviewing your writing, revert your contraction to the two words that form it to make sure that the sentence still makes sense. If it doesn’t, then you’ve chosen the wrong word. Conversely, if the word you chose can be said in two words, then the contraction is needed.

As wordsmiths, you love to create using the English language, and your audience loves it when you do. Take the time to be sure that you are creating with the precise words necessary. And if you need help, let me know!