##  [Frequently confused verbs](/hypergrammar-2/frequently-confused-verbs)

##  Avertissement

Ce contenu est offert en anglais seulement.

## *Lie* and *lay*

The [verbs](what-is-a-verb) *lie* and *lay* are frequently confused.

The verb *lie* is an [intransitive verb](transitive-and-intransitive-verbs#intransitiveverb) that means *to recline* or *to be situated*. The [present participle](verbals#presentparticiple) of *lie* is *lying*, the [past tense](using-verb-tenses#pasttenses) is *lay* and the [past participle](verbals#pastparticiple) is *lain*:

- The coffee mug *is lying* on the floor.
- The cat *lay* in the sun all morning.
- The newspapers *had lain* on the veranda for two weeks before anyone noticed that Mr. Gilfillian had disappeared.

In each of these examples, the intransitive verb *lie* is used (with an [adverbial phrase](the-function-of-phrases#phradv)) to describe the location of the [subject](subject-and-predicate#subject).

The verb *lay* is a [transitive verb](transitive-and-intransitive-verbs#transitiveverb) that means *to place* or *to put*. The present participle of *lay* is *laying*, and the past tense and the past participle are both *laid*:

- I *was laying* the coffee mugs on the table when I dropped one.
- Bridget *laid* the suspicious-looking parcel on the commissioner’s desk.
- The supervisor *had laid* a mug of scalding coffee on the desk only moments before the bulldozer rammed into the construction office.

In each of these [sentences](subject-and-predicate), the transitive verb *lay* indicates that someone had placed something somewhere.

## *Sit* and *set*

The verbs *sit* and *set* are also frequently confused.

The intransitive verb *sit* means *to rest* or *to occupy a seat*. The present participle is *sitting*, and both the past tense and the past participle are *sat*:

- Charlie will be surprised when he learns that he *is sitting* on a freshly painted bench.
- We *sat* in the corridor outside the dean’s office all afternoon.
- The students *have sat* in the excruciatingly uncomfortable chairs outside the dean’s office for several hours.

In each of these sentences, the verb *sit* is used with an adverbial phrase to describe the position of the subject.

The transitive verb *set* means *to place*, *to put* or *to lay*. The present participle of *set* is *setting*, and both the past tense and the past participle are *set*:

- The clockmaker *was setting* her tools on the bench when the mayor came into her shop.
- Joe *set* plates and soup bowls on the table.
- Once we *had set* the report on the director’s desk, we left the office.

In each of these sentences, the verb *set* describes the placing of objects in a specific place.

##  Avis de droit d’auteur pour l’outil HyperGrammar 2

© Département d’anglais, Faculté des arts, Université d’Ottawa
Un outil mis en ligne par le Bureau de la traduction, Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada

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## Liens connexes

- [HyperGrammar 2](/fr/hypergrammar-2/index-fra) (page d’accueil)
- [Outils d’aide à la rédaction](/fr/outils-tools/index-fra)
- [Navigateur linguistique](/fr/navigateur-navigator) (permet de trouver rapidement des conseils linguistiques)
- [TERMIUM Plus®](http://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2alpha/alpha-fra.html?lang=fra)
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