Common Errors in English Usage: Lay (vt) and Lie (vi)

Here is a worksheet on the use of the verbs lay and lie. These are two commonly misused words, and Paul Brians, in his excellent book Common Errors in English Usage (which he generously makes available at no charge on his page at the Washington State University website) sorts them out in the seven-sentence reading that drives this worksheet. There are also ten modified cloze exercises for students to try their hands at using these two verbs properly.

Simply put, lay is transitive and requires a direct object: One lays one’s keys on the counter when one returns home from work. Lie is intransitive and does not require a direct object: One lies down to take a nap.

If you find typos in this document, I would appreciate a notification. And, as always, if you find this material useful in your practice, I would be grateful to hear what you think of it. I seek your peer review.