I Can’t Tell a Lie... from Another!

According to a patriotic American legend, when George Washington was a kid, he cut down a cherry tree. When confronted by his father, George admitted his crime, declaring, I can’t tell a lie. And so we are led to believe that our first president had always been an honest guy.

But whether, you’re honest or not, you can have trouble telling one lie from another. If you can’t tell one thing from another that means that you can’t differentiate two things. This can be particularly true with lie, the verb. Lie has two different meanings, which isn’t unusual; it can mean not telling the truth, or being in a horizontal position. But the confusing thing about these two meanings is that they are conjugated in two different ways! You see, “dishonest” lie is a regular verb, but “horizontal” lie is an irregular verb.

“be dishonest” lie (regular)

infinitive / present simple: Don’t lie. You lie all the time.

past simple: You lied to me.

past participle: You have lied to me.

“be horizontal” lie (irregular)

infinitive / present simple: She can’t lie on her back.

She lies on the couch when she watches TV. 

past simple: She lay on the beach towel.

past participle: She has always lain on the left side of the bed.

At least, their gerund form is the same!

Stop lying to me, tell me the truth! (being dishonest)

Stop lying around all day and do some work! (being horizontal)

Unfortunately, it is also common to mistake lie, be in a horizontal position, with lay, put down.

“put down” lay (irregular)

infinitive, present simple: Lay your jacket on the bed.

past simple: He laid his child in the crib.

past participle: He had laid his wallet on the dresser.

gerund: He was laying the silverware on the table.

Apart from meaning, another danger is confusing the past simple form of lie with the infinitive or present simple form of lay!

I lay on the grass, staring at the stars. (past simple of lie)

The soldiers must lay their weapons down. (infinitive form of lay)

I would be telling you a lie if I told you lie wasn’t a confusing verb!