Past Tense of “lay”
The past simple of “lay” is “laid” and the past participle is “laid”. Below are the pronunciation, three example sentences, the mistake learners make most often, and a short drill to check yourself.
Forms of “lay”
lay – laid – laid
put something down carefully; produce (eggs)
- Base form
- lay/leɪ/
- Past simple
- laid/leɪd/
- Past participle
- laid/leɪd/
- -ing form
- laying
- He / she / it
- lays
Pronunciation (US)
Quick practice
5 questions. Type the missing form.
Example sentences
Three everyday sentences that show how the forms are used.
Past simple
She laid the baby in the bed.
Past participle
The hens have laid six eggs.
Passive
The new carpet was laid last week.
The most common mistake
Wrong
I layed the papers on your desk.
Correct
I laid the papers on your desk.
“Lay” (put something down) takes an object, and its past is spelled “laid”, not “layed”.
Verbs with the same pattern
Past = participle. Learn these together.