Lay vs Lie

There was something boggling me today...

what is the difference between lay vs lie?

I was caught in a cross-fire between these 2 words! It happen on a hungry Tuesday morning and the thought of how important this report is and the words that I use needed to be chosen well, This called for some clarification! 

Well, I know that some of you may be caught in such a similar situation too one day, so that's why I am sharing this :)

Lay Versus Lie

Today's topic is lay versus lie.

By

Mignon Fogarty,

Grammar Girl

December 17, 2009

Episode #037

Today's topic is lay versus lie.

Lay Versus Lie

First, we'll do the easy part, which is the present tense.
If you exclude the meaning "to tell an untruth" and just focus on the setting/reclining meaning of lay and lie, then the important distinction is that lay requires a direct object and lie does not. So you lie down on the sofa (no direct object), but you lay the book down on the table (the book is the direct object).
This is in the present tense, where you are talking about doing something now: you lie down on the sofa, and you lay down a book.
There are a bunch of ways to remember this part.

How to Remember the Difference

The way I remember is to think of the phrase lay it on me. You're laying something (it, the direct object) on me. It's a catchy, dorky, 1970s kind of phrase, so I can remember it and remember that it is correct.

Take the "Lay" Versus "Lie" Quiz (in a new tab).  ⇒

What's that I hear, music in the background? I know I don't normally play music, but I love Eric Clapton, and his song Lay Down Sally can actually help you remember the difference between lay and lie... [record screeching soun because he's wrong.
To say “lay down Sally” would imply that someone should grab Sally and lay her down. If he wanted Sally to rest in his arms on her own, the correct line would be “lie down Sally.”

You lay something down, and people lie down by themselves.

We don't have to judge Clapton on his grammar; we can still love his music and at the same time know that it's grammatically incorrect! In fact, that helps us remember, and we can love him more.

If you're more of a Bob Dylan fan, you can remember that "Lay Lady Lay" is also wrong. The lyrics should be “Lie lady lie, lie across my big brass bed.”

source:  http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/lay-versus-lie