Lay vs. Lie

[sherryillk]

I think I hate the word "lie" and I don't mean in the context of not telling the truth but rather in the sense of "lie down" or when you're reclining.

For the longest time, I've got these two words messed up. And I blame the lack of grammar instruction in primary school, erroneous usage of the American people and just bad grammar from fanfic writers (not to mention bad beta work) who perpetuate the wrongful usage of these two words. There are times where I would use them correctly and others where I totally don't but it's through those reasons that the grammatically incorrect word now seems so more correct than the right one and that's just plain wrong.

And I'm hyper-aware of this. It's like my brain just won't let go of it, like it's on a quest to correct itself after years of being misinformed and I stop at every single "lie" or "lying" or "lay" to examine whether or not it's been used correctly. I think I'm obsessing over it a bit and that's never healthy... Damn you transitive and intransitive verbs! I hadn't even heard of them before my second year of Japanese and it didn't even occur to me that they existed in English! Like I said, there was a lack of grammar instruction in primary school.

I hate times like this. It just bugs me to know I've been under a misconception. Even now, I want to use lay when I mean lie and it's wrong, wrong, wrong so I can't... :\

Comments

[princessatine.livejournal.com]

Click

You just struck one of my "pet peeves".

[sherryillk.livejournal.com]

LOL, which one? The misuse of lay for lie or just bad grammar?

[princessatine.livejournal.com]

Both.

:p

[yoshikochan.livejournal.com]

Ooooooooooooooo :O

[d-moonchild.livejournal.com]

I blame fanfiction. So many good, otherwise perfect grammar-wise authors use "lay" instead of "lie" that after seeing the same mistake for the umpteenth time I inevitably begin to doubt my knowledge.

[yoshikochan.livejournal.com]

I never got it either. ;__; I remember in 8th grade, my teacher had a poster that explained the difference. But I must have understood it wrong cause according to spell check I always use the wrong one ;_____; and I didn't have a very good brain back then so I think I just didn't get it.