September 8,2007
the difference between Lay & Lie
對於放下東西的那個放的英文單字,不曉得有沒有人和我一樣感到困惑過呢?無論是現在式的Lay it down 和 Lie in my bed或者是過去式的I laid it down或I lay in my bed,那困惑就像為什麼在白色糕點上就長黑色的黴菌、而黑色糕點上就冒白色黴菌一樣的令我匪疑所思。
根據Englishforums.com論壇有人提出和一樣的問題(所謂天涯若庇鄰、他鄉遇故知?),最重要的是有人厘清了我倆的問題,在此借用他的答案讓我們一起搞清楚吧。(聲明:在此的lie,不以另一個意思"說謊"做討論
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首先先了解兩個動作的主動性與被動性質:
- someone or something is lying down (by itself) - eg: I'm lying in bed.
- someone lays something down (in order to make it lie) - eg: I'm laying the pencil on the table (The result is that the pencil then will be lying (NOT laying) on the table)
再來了解,lay和lie各自的時態變化(順序:過去式→過去完成式→現在分詞-<就暫時跳過未來式>),並透過例子
to lay: (to make sth. lie)laid→laid→laying
I lay (it down)/I laid (it down)/I've laid (it down) /I was laying (it down).
She lays (it down)/She laid (it down)/She's laid (it down)/She was laying (it down).
to lie: (to lie by itself)lay→lain→lyin
I lie (in bed) - I lay (in bed) - I've lain (in bed) - I was lying (in bed).
She lies (in bed) - She lay (in bed) - She's lain (in bed) - She was lying (in bed).
解決了我的謎思,不過有關黑白黴菌附著在白黑物體上,就需要再去找答案了我。若有疑問,也多多提出,並批評指教。不過,這次接受批評和挑戰的可能是那位提供答案的會員,我拾人牙慧呀我。