Correct Laying-Lying Usage

rogersgeorge on October 10th, 2019

Laying something on the table—transitive (has a direct object, in this case, “something.”)
Lying on the table—intransitive (no direct object. Just doing it.)

The guys in this comic both get it right.

https://www.comicskingdom.com/moose-and-molly/2019-08-08

Frankly, I suspect we’re seeing evidence of the cartoonist’s knowledge of grammar, not his characters’.

This post first appeared on The Writing Rag.

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Rogers George has been a technical writer for more than 20 years. He has written on subjects as diverse as outhouse assembly, restaurant reviews, software, information security, and scientific equipment. He has his own writing consultancy and is always happy to discuss writing and grammar. Drop him a line at curmudgeon@writing-rag.com.

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