Grammar Alert: Lie down VS Lay down

Hello hello,

I was thinking of using my blog as a medium to share the grammatical problems which most of us are facing but at the same time, disregard to rectify it :) I'm human and I'm not perfect, but by doing this, I could also learn when I share information with you.

Now, who is still confused with the use of 'lie' and 'lay' in sentences? Which is grammatically correct? Is it "go lie down" or "go lay down"?

In the first place, "lay" is a transitive verb and "lie" is an intransitive verb.

What is a transitive and an intransitive verb?

Transitive verb = one that takes a direct object.

Intransitive verb = one that cannot take a direct object.

For example; 

I lay the book on the table (here, book is the direct object).

 I lie down on my bed.

 

* Basically, "lay" is when you lay something else down.

                    "lie" is when you/someone else lie yourself/themselves down. 

  HOWEVER! 

The past tense of "lie" is also "lay" 

       Verb     Infinitive     Past Tense       Past Participle 
lie              lie                  lay                     lain

lay             lay                 laid                    laid 

Lie

Present tense: I lie down on my bed to rest my weary bones.

Past tense: Yesterday, I lay there thinking about what I had to do during the day.
Past participle: But I remembered that I had lain there all morning one day last week.

Lay

Present tense: As I walk past, I lay the tools on the workbench.

Past tense: As I walked past, I laid the tools on the workbench.  

Past participle: I had laid the tools on the workbench.

 Hope this will help you to understand better. Good luck!