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I am a secondary teacher of English in Southern Spain. I studied MFL in Jaén and I got a DPSI certificate in Law in England. I started my teaching career in Newcastle back in 2000, where I lived for 3 years. Once I returned home, I taught in a public school and got ready to sit the "oposiciones" exam, which I passed!!! Currently, I am teaching in Spain, which has become my definite residence in since 2004.

viernes, 12 de enero de 2024

LIE OR LAY??? Confusing verbs

These three verbs are every student's nightmare. Read carefully about them and please, note their form for the Gerund, they have spelling differences!!!! No time to read? Check out the pic below!
Let's start with the easy one. Everybody knows the REGULAR VERB "LIE" (mentir) 
  • LIE LIED LIED
    • Do not lie to me, please!
    • She was lying the whole time.
    • It was obvious that they lied about their experience. 
Things get complicated when two similar verbs come into scene. Even though you may have seen and even studied them in advance, they always cause insecurity and confusion and need some web checking to avoid mistakes.
On the one hand, we have the IRREGULAR TRANSITIVE VERB "LAY"
  • LAY LAID LAID (to put something down flat, i..e., "poner" in Spanish) as it is a transitive verb, it will be followed by an object. (Poner un huevo , la mesa, ladrillos...)
    • The hen laid an egg.
    • I am laying the  table.
    • The worker was told to lay the bricks in line.
On the other hand, we have the INTRANSITIVE VERB LIE (watch it! Not the regular one!!!)
  • LIE LAY LAIN (to be in a flat position or surface, i. e., "yacer o estar tumbado" as an intransitive verb, it lacks an object afterwards. 
    • I love to lie down on the sofa after lunch.
    • He has lain there all day.
    • She is still lying down. 


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