Word of the Day: Lie
There are a few different ways to use the word “lie.”
If a person doesn’t tell the truth, he or she lies.
| simple | past | past participle |
|---|---|---|
|
lie
|
lied
|
lied
|
- Tim lied to his mother. He said he didn’t break the window, but he did.
- The salesperson lied to the customer about the warranty on the television.
- Everyone in the office lied about the cake that Sarah made. They all said it was good, but it was actually awful.
- Bill told a lie to his wife. (This sentence uses “lie” as a noun.)
- If you tell enough lies, people will stop believing you. (This sentence also uses “lie” as a noun.)
Another way to use this word as a verb is when a person or a thing is in a horizontal position. It’s also used to describe a location.
| simple | past | past participle |
|---|---|---|
|
lie
|
lay
|
lain
|
- There’s a man lying on the street. Is he okay?
- The airport lies just north of the city. (In this sentence, “lie” is similar to the verb “be.”)
- My cat lies around the house all day.
- The little girl lay motionless, pretending to be asleep.
- The man is lying in bed. (present continuous tense)
- He lies in bed all day. (present tense)
- He lay in bed all day yesterday. (past tense)
Note: The words “lie” and “lay” are often confused.
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with L page to see the list of all words starting with letter L. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.