"I was confused about where the right path lay."Which usage is correct for this sentence: "I was confused about where the right path lay/laid/lie/lied."?
Which usage is correct for this sentence: "I was confused about where the right path lay/laid/lie/lied."?
"I was confused about where the right path lay."
This is a universally accepted right answer.
"Where does the path lie? I wondered about where the path lay."
"I wonder where the path lies. It had lain here - where does it now lie?"
The verb is lie (eg. to lie down) - intransitive: lie / lay / lain.
The other verb lie (to tell a mistruth) is: lie / lied / lied.
The verb lay, transitive (to lay something down) is: lay / laid / laid
However, many Americans (and some others) use the transitive verb 'to lay' for the intransitive verb 'to lie', as in "I'm going to go lay down." This would be marked wrong in an Australian school. But if you live in a region where 'lay' is used like this, then I guess "paths lay" too.
Nothing. That's why I said it was right.Ray, I'm confused by your answer. Lay is the past of lie. It is hard to tell where it lies. It was hard to tell where it lay.
What is wrong with that latter?
Sorry, but I don't understand that. I'll clarify. My first two lines are:I inferred from the way you phrased your answer that only if you live somewhere that people say "I'm going to lay down" would that answer be right.
The first line was meant to be my answer, giving the correct form. The second is my assertion that the answer in the first line is correct."I was confused about where the right path lay."
This is a universally accepted right answer.
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