Sometimes grammatical mistakes can be spookier than the actual material in a journal article. Trade Halloween ghost story articles with a partner and look for mistakes in grammar while you are reading.
Post the grammatical error in a comment below. How does this mistake make you feel about the author and the information that is provided in the article?
[No grammar mistakes?? Trade with another classmate to find the spookiness.]
Gifts of Grammatical Gab
Why did Missy probably deserve that "C" in English class?
Friday, October 31, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Lie vs. Lay
As a class, we have already reviewed different verb tenses, [past perfect, present progressive, etc.], but sometimes verbs have irregular forms. This means that they do not follow the standard grammar rules for verbs.
The irregular verbs LIE and LAY take on new forms depending on the tense. First, let's look at the definitions of lie and lay:
lay: (v.) to put or place something down
ex: Marcus lay the book on his kitchen table.
lie: (v.) to rest or recline
ex: Dana's bed always smells like dog because Trusty, her golden retriever, always lies there.
Once you know the meaning of the verb you want, the next task is to pick the correct tense:
to lay (to put/place) : lay(s) [present], laid [past], laid[past participle], laying [present participle]
to lie (to rest/recline) : lie(s) [present], lay [past], lain[past participle], lying [present participle]
Here are some examples from Woe is I by Patricia T. O'Conner:
"lie (to recline): She lies quietly. Last night, she lay quietly. For years, she has lain quietly.
lay (to place): She lays it there. Yesterday she laid it there. Many times she has laid it there" (64).
As a class homework exercise, post two original sentences [one for lay and one for lie] on this blog by selecting "comments" in the bottom-right corner below, and typing your sentences into the comment box.
The irregular verbs LIE and LAY take on new forms depending on the tense. First, let's look at the definitions of lie and lay:
lay: (v.) to put or place something down
ex: Marcus lay the book on his kitchen table.
lie: (v.) to rest or recline
ex: Dana's bed always smells like dog because Trusty, her golden retriever, always lies there.
Once you know the meaning of the verb you want, the next task is to pick the correct tense:
to lay (to put/place) : lay(s) [present], laid [past], laid[past participle], laying [present participle]
to lie (to rest/recline) : lie(s) [present], lay [past], lain[past participle], lying [present participle]
Here are some examples from Woe is I by Patricia T. O'Conner:
"lie (to recline): She lies quietly. Last night, she lay quietly. For years, she has lain quietly.
lay (to place): She lays it there. Yesterday she laid it there. Many times she has laid it there" (64).
As a class homework exercise, post two original sentences [one for lay and one for lie] on this blog by selecting "comments" in the bottom-right corner below, and typing your sentences into the comment box.
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