Lie vs Lay Worksheets

Print worksheet gives 8 sentences: circle lie or lay, lies or lays, lying or laying, whichever fits.

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Made at homeroomtools.comRead each sentence. Circle the word that fits.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.Lie or lay?The cat likes toin the sun.laylieThe geesetheir eggs near the pond.laylieHe isthe tools in a row.lyinglayingSnow ison the roof.layinglyingDid the goosean egg today?lielayTell the dog todown.lielayYou mayyour jackets here.laylieI willthe puzzle pieces face up.laylie
Made at homeroomtools.comRead each sentence. Circle the word that fits.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.Lie or lay?Answer keyThe cat likes toin the sun.laylieThe geesetheir eggs near the pond.laylieHe isthe tools in a row.lyinglayingSnow ison the roof.layinglyingDid the goosean egg today?lielayTell the dog todown.lielayYou mayyour jackets here.laylieI willthe puzzle pieces face up.laylielielaylayinglyinglaylielaylay
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All 190 sentences

Lie or lay 80

  • A frog ___ still on the lily pad.
  • A gray seal ___ on the rock.
  • ___ a sheet over the couch before you paint.
  • A stack of mail is ___ on the table.
  • The answer ___ on page nine.
  • The baby is ___ in her crib.
  • The bear will ___ in its den all winter.
  • Can you ___ the ladder on the ground?
  • The cat likes to ___ in the sun.
  • The cows will ___ in the shade at noon.
  • The crew will ___ the carpet on Monday.
  • Dad is ___ new tile in the kitchen.
  • Did the goose ___ an egg today?
  • Do not ___ on the wet grass.
  • Do not ___ wet towels on the bed.
  • Does your dog ___ on the porch?
  • The dog ___ by the fire every night.
  • ___ down and close your eyes.
  • The farm ___ ten miles north of town.
  • ___ flat on the sled and hold on.
  • Fog ___ over the lake each morning.
  • The geese ___ their eggs near the pond.
  • Grandma ___ a quilt on each bed.
  • Grandpa is ___ sod in the yard.
Show all 190 sentences (166 more)

Lie or lay, continued

  • Grandpa wants to ___ down before dinner.
  • He ___ awake and listens to the rain.
  • He always ___ his keys by the door.
  • He is ___ the tools in a row.
  • The hen ___ an egg in the straw.
  • I am ___ my cards on the table.
  • I will ___ my coat on the chair.
  • I will ___ on the couch and read.
  • I will ___ the puzzle pieces face up.
  • The kitten was ___ in a laundry basket.
  • Leaves are ___ all over the yard.
  • Let me ___ the baby down for a nap.
  • Let the puppy ___ on the rug.
  • The lizard is ___ on a warm stone.
  • ___ the map flat so we can see it.
  • The mason ___ each stone with care.
  • May I ___ on the top bunk?
  • Mia ___ her backpack by the door.
  • Mom is ___ the plates on the table.
  • My shoes are ___ under the bed.
  • My sister ___ on the floor to draw.
  • The old boat ___ on its side.
  • ___ on your back and look at the stars.
  • Our duck ___ eggs under the porch.
  • Our hens ___ eggs in the old barn.
  • Our tent ___ flat on the grass.
  • The painter is ___ a cloth on the floor.
  • Please ___ on the mat during quiet time.
  • Please ___ the baby in the crib.
  • Please ___ your phones in the basket.
  • Robins are ___ eggs in that nest.
  • She ___ a blanket over the bird cage.
  • She ___ her glasses on the shelf at night.
  • She is ___ the baby on a soft blanket.
  • Should I ___ the forks on the left?
  • Snow is ___ on the roof.
  • The spare key ___ under the mat.
  • The teacher ___ a book on every desk.
  • Tell the dog to ___ down.
  • They are ___ pipe under the street.
  • The town ___ in a green valley.
  • The twins are ___ on the beach.
  • The village ___ beside a river.
  • The waiter ___ a napkin beside each plate.
  • We are ___ a path of flat stones.
  • We like to ___ on the dock and fish.
  • We must ___ the tent poles side by side.
  • Why is the rake ___ in the driveway?
  • The workers are ___ bricks.
  • You can ___ here until the rain stops.
  • You can ___ your bag on the bench.
  • You may ___ your jackets here.
  • You should ___ still for the photo.
  • Your coat is ___ on the stairs.
  • ___ your head on the pillow.
  • ___ your pencils on your desks.

Lay, laid or lain 70

  • A letter ___ unopened on the mat. laid, lay, lied
  • A robin ___ an egg in our gutter.
  • A thin frost ___ on the windows at dawn. laid, lay, layed
  • After the hike, he ___ down for a nap.
  • Ana ___ her head on the desk. laid, lay, layed
  • The ball ___ in the gutter for a month. laid, lay, lied
  • The book ___ open on her desk all week. laid, lay, lied
  • The cat has ___ in that box all morning.
  • The crew ___ new carpet last Friday.
  • Dad ___ the bricks in a neat row.
  • The dog ___ by the door all afternoon. laid, lay, layed
  • The dog has ___ there all day.
  • The fawn ___ hidden in the tall grass.
  • The fog ___ over the hills at sunrise.
  • Grandpa ___ a stone path last spring. laid, lay, layed
  • He ___ a blanket over the sleeping pup.
  • He ___ back and looked at the stars.
  • He ___ his cards on the table and grinned.
  • He ___ on the sled and zoomed downhill.
  • He ___ the ladder on the grass.
  • He has ___ his coat over the chair.
  • The hens have ___ six eggs.
  • Her bike ___ on its side in the yard. laid, lay, layed
  • I ___ awake all night before the trip.
  • I ___ my pencil down when time was up. laid, lay, lied
  • I ___ on the top bunk at camp.
  • I ___ the baby bird in its nest last week. laid, lay, layed
  • I ___ the keys right here an hour ago. laid, lay, layed
  • I have ___ the forks on the table.
  • The kitten ___ curled up in my lap.
  • The lake ___ calm under the moon.
  • Last night they ___ the baby on a quilt. laid, lay, lied
  • Last night we ___ our towels out to dry. laid, lay, layed
  • Last summer we ___ on the dock each night.
  • Last Sunday we ___ the canoe on the shore. laid, lay, lied
  • Leo ___ his glasses on the piano.
  • The letter had ___ unread for days.
  • The lions ___ in the shade until dusk.
  • The mason ___ the last stone at noon.
  • Mom ___ the baby in the playpen an hour ago.
  • Mom had ___ a snack out for us.
  • My bike has ___ in the rain too long.
  • My glove ___ in the mud all night. laid, lay, lied
  • The old map ___ in a drawer for years.
  • Our duck ___ an egg under the steps.
  • The painter ___ a cloth on the floor first.
  • The pup ___ at my feet during the movie.
  • She ___ a hand on the pony.
  • She ___ still and listened for the owl.
  • She ___ the fork to the left of the plate.
  • She ___ the map flat on the hood.
  • She had ___ her bag by the door.
  • The sheep ___ down as the sun set.
  • The ship had ___ on the seabed for years.
  • Snow ___ deep in the valley last March. laid, lay, lied
  • The snow had ___ on the roof for weeks.
  • The speckled hen ___ two eggs last week. laid, lay, lied
  • The teacher ___ a sticker on each desk.
  • That rake has ___ in the yard since May.
  • They ___ flowers by the old oak yesterday.
  • They have ___ fresh straw in the stalls.
  • The toys ___ all over the floor yesterday. laid, lay, layed
  • The twins ___ in the hammock and giggled.
  • The waiter ___ a menu at each seat.
  • We ___ in our sleeping bags and told jokes.
  • We ___ on the grass and watched clouds.
  • We ___ the game board on the rug last night.
  • We have ___ the tent flat to dry.
  • Yesterday I ___ my coat on the bed.
  • Yesterday the cat ___ in the sun for hours.

Object or no object 40

  • A robin laid an egg. The verb has ___.
  • The baby is lying on a quilt. The verb has ___.
  • The boat lay on its side. The verb has ___.
  • The cat lies on the rug. The verb has ___.
  • The crew is laying pipe. The verb has ___.
  • Dad is laying tile. The verb has ___.
  • The dog is lying by the door. The verb has ___.
  • Frost lies on the grass. The verb has ___.
  • Gus laid his bat on the grass. The verb has ___.
  • The hat lay in the mud. The verb has ___.
  • He laid a towel on the sand. The verb has ___.
  • He lay down after lunch. The verb has ___.
  • He lays his head on the desk. The verb has ___.
  • Hens lay eggs. The verb has ___.
  • I am laying my cards down. The verb has ___.
  • I lay awake last night. The verb has ___.
  • I lay my coat on the chair. The verb has ___.
  • I will lie in the hammock. The verb has ___.
  • The keys lay under the mat. The verb has ___.
  • Lay the atlas on the desk. The verb has ___.
  • Lay your pencil down. The verb has ___.
  • Leaves lie on the path. The verb has ___.
  • Lie down for a while. The verb has ___.
  • Lie still and listen. The verb has ___.
  • The mason lays bricks. The verb has ___.
  • Mom laid her keys here. The verb has ___.
  • My socks are lying on the floor. The verb has ___.
  • Please lay the forks out. The verb has ___.
  • The pup has lain here since noon. The verb has ___.
  • Sam laid the book down. The verb has ___.
  • She laid her hand on my arm. The verb has ___.
  • She lays a card on the pile. The verb has ___.
  • She lies on the couch to read. The verb has ___.
  • Snow lay on the hills. The verb has ___.
  • They laid a rug in the hall. The verb has ___.
  • They lay in the shade. The verb has ___.
  • The town lies near a river. The verb has ___.
  • We have laid the plates out. The verb has ___.
  • We laid the baby in the crib. The verb has ___.
  • We were lying on the dock. The verb has ___.

How this list was compiled: Written for this page. The forms were read in the English Wiktionary entries lie and lay, en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lie and en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lay, and in the list of the Wikipedia article English irregular verbs, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_irregular_verbs, on 16 October 2026: lie (to rest) takes no object and goes lie, lay, lain, lying; lay (to put something down) takes an object and goes lay, laid, laid, laying. Everyday speech often uses lay for lie, as the Wiktionary usage notes say; the key marks the forms of edited writing. Layed is offered as a wrong choice because it is a misspelling of laid, and lied because it is the past of lie, to say something untrue. A present sentence about resting always has a helper (will, to, can), an -s or -ing ending or a command, so the past form lay never fits it too. The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts ask fourth graders to use frequently confused words correctly (L.4.1g), read the same day in the standards document at thecorestandards.org. First names are made up; no person, brand or character is named. Licence: own work

How it works

Lie means to rest and takes no object: The dog lies by the fire. Lay means to put something down and takes an object: Mom lays the plates on the table. The catch: the past of lie is lay.

Read the full guide

Does the verb have an object?

Ask what. Mom lays what? The plates, so lay is right. The dog lies what? Nothing, so lie is right; by the fire only tells where. The set Object or no object asks this one question about sentences such as Snow lay on the hills.

Lay, laid or lain

Lie goes lie, lay, lain: Yesterday the cat lay in the sun for hours. Lay goes lay, laid, laid: Yesterday I laid my coat on the bed. Under Set, Lay, laid or lain holds these past sentences, and a few offer lied or the misspelling layed as a wrong choice.

  • Lying is resting and laying is putting: the baby is lying in her crib, Dad is laying tile.
  • Lied is only the past of lie, to say something untrue.

Questions and answers

Is there a PDF of this worksheet on lay and lie for 4th grade?

Yes, through the print window. Press Print worksheet and pick Save as PDF as the printer. The file holds the sheet and, as its last page, the answer key.

Is a lie vs lay worksheet right for 4th grade?

The Common Core asks fourth graders to use frequently confused words correctly (L.4.1g). Its examples are to, too, two and there, their; lie and lay are our choice. The set that opens leaves out the past forms lay, laid and lain.

Is it lay down or lie down?

Lie down, when you mean rest: Lie down and close your eyes. Lay down needs an object (Lay your pencil down) or is the past of lie: He lay down after lunch.

Do people still say lain?

Rarely. Wiktionary notes that lain is quite formal and that writers often rephrase: The dog had lain there becomes The dog was lying there. The sheets offer lain only after has, have or had.

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