Page 601 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing

1. I promised my grandmother I would pay back the (lend,
loan), but she said, “Consider it a gift.”

2. Derek tries not to (lend, loan) books he wants to keep.

3. Shakespeare wrote, “Friends, Romans, countrymen, (lend,

loan) me your ears.”

4. Amy is irresponsible with money; she needs a (lend, loan)

before each payday.
5. Would you mind (lending, loaning) me a hand?

Lay and Lie

Lay and lie are often confused, partly because their forms overlap.

The present tense of the verb lay and the past tense of lie are both the

same: lay. Look at the following chart to see the different forms of

each verb.

Present Past Past Participle Present Participle

lay (put) laid (have) laid (are) laying

lie (recline) lay (have) lain (are) lying

The verb lay means to put or to place. It always takes an object;

that is, there will always be an answer to the question “Lay what?”

Examples of Correct Uses of Lay

verb object