by Barbara Casey | Aug 22, 2015 | Spelling & Grammar Rules, Tutorials
A common word usage question is when to use “lie” versus “lay.” Here’s a quick tutorial with the meanings and rules for lie and lay.
LIE:
One usage of the verb “lie” means “to recline”
- I am going to lie down on the sofa for awhile.
- Watch the lion lie down on the grass.
However… the past tense of “lie” is “lay”
- I only lay in bed for half an hour.
- The lion lay there until he got hungry.
And… the past participle is “lain”
- I have lain in bed longer than I should have.
- Had the lion lain there all day, he would have missed supper.
LAY:
A common usage of the verb “lay” means “to put or set down”
- I am planning to lay my purse on that table.
Past tense is “laid”
- I laid my purse on that table just ten minutes ago.
Past participle is also “laid”
- I have laid my purse on that table every day for a month.
Of course “lie” also means to fib, but that’s not the one we confuse with “lay.” And we could “lay a bet” or “lay a plan” or “lay the table for dinner,” but these are not confused with “lie.”
Bottom line:
You don’t “lay down” in bed, nor would you have “laid in bed for a nap.”
You LIE down but you LAY something else down, when speaking in the present tense, which is where most of the mistakes come from with the lie-lay situation.
by Barbara Casey | Aug 22, 2015 | Spelling & Grammar Rules, Tutorials
Do you sometimes choose the wrong spelling for these two words that sound the same: “whose” and “who’s?” Here are the spelling rules to remember:
“Whose” is an adjective that essentially asks a question about the ownership of something:
> Whose shoes are they?
> Whose science project won?
> I don’t know whose idea that was.
Who’s is simply an abbreviation for “who is” or “who has.” The apostrophe indicates missing letters.
For example, “Who’s coming with me?” or “Who’s the man?”
“Who’s” – as in “Who’s got the tickets” is a contraction for “who has.” We could have said, “Who has the tickets,” but we just as often say, “Who’s got…” (which is short for “who has got”).
by Barbara Casey | Aug 22, 2015 | Spelling & Grammar Rules, Tutorials
Many people get confused by the three different spellings for these three words that sound exactly the same: their, there, and they’re. Here are the rules.
“Their” is a possessive, third person, plural adjective relating to “something belonging to them” – as in: their house, their political party, their stupid rules of grammar – and the entities involved have been named earlier, so it’s implied that you know who or what “they” are. What is being pointed out now is the house, party or rules “owned” by “them.” You can just as easily be talking about daffodils, with “their” flowers shimmering in the sun.
“There” has a few meanings. It can mean a physical place: over there, go there – or it can mean a virtual place: stop right there before you say something you’ll regret.
Sometimes “there” is used to express satisfaction, sympathy or even defiance:
There, it’s finished!
There, there, you’ll soon feel better.
There! You do it!
And “there” is frequently used to introduce a sentence or clause: “There comes a time…”
“Hi there” and “you, there” are sometimes used when we don’t remember someone’s name right away.
And let’s not forget They’re:
To confuse the issue even more, there’s a third usage that sounds the same but is spelled differently – “they’re.” Here the apostrophe indicates a missing letter. “They’re” is an abbreviation for “they are” – as in “they’re coming” or “they’re not so big.”
by Barbara Casey | Aug 22, 2015 | Spelling & Grammar Rules, Tutorials
Are you unsure when to use an apostrophe for the word “it’s?” Here’s the spelling rule for its versus it’s. This spelling mistake is so common now, it has everyone second-guessing which one is correct.
“Its” without an apostrophe – is a possessive, third person, singular adjective that typically relates to something other than a person. The noun it refers to was probably mentioned just previously (in this sentence, “it” refers to the noun “noun”), so you know what “it” is.
“Its” refers to something “it” possesses:
The dog was so agitated, its barks were deafening.
I picked a daffodil and its color reminded me of sunshine.
“It’s” with an apostrophe – is an abbreviation for (1) it is or (2) it has:
It’s a foregone conclusion. It’s raining.
It’s been proven long ago. Look at the daffodil; it’s gone to seed.
The main rule to remember here is – the apostrophe takes the place of missing letters and represents a shortened version of a pronoun and a verb: “it is” or “it has.”
No apostrophe means ownership of some kind -– and no missing letters.
by Barbara Casey | Aug 20, 2015 | Spelling & Grammar Rules, Tutorials
Here’s a quickie tutorial for one of the most common spelling mistakes: knowing the spelling rule for “your” versus “you’re.”
Your is the second person singular adjective that relates to something “you” possess:
Your clothes. Your car. Your outlook on life.
You’re is a contraction for “you are.”
You’re going to be impressed. You’re on the right road. You’re going to love this post.
