Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.
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I'm Sian from BBC Learning English,
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and today we're going to look at the difference between
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'lay' and 'lie'.
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So 'lay' always has an object,
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and it means
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'put something or someone down carefully'
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– normally in a flat position.
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When I eat I lay a cloth on the table.
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You can lay a baby in a cot.
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The past tense is 'laid',
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but careful with the spelling.
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I laid all my cards on the table.
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The verb 'lie' doesn't have an object
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and it means that you are 'in a flat position'
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or you 'put yourself in a flat position'
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- so you move on your own.
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Tonight I want to lie on the sofa and watch a film.
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But be careful.
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Now, the past of 'lie' is 'lay'.
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Yesterday I lay on the beach and read my book.
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