Technically, this idiom flies in the face of the basic difference between “lay” and “lie.” As any grammar book will tell you, “lay” is a transitive verb and “lie” is intransitive.

Both Zbyszek from Poland and Iqbal Ahmad from Pakistan write that they find it difficult to differentiate between transitive and intransitive verbs: 'Please explain the difference and give us some ...

Listen to Prof Roly Sussex talk about how some verbs are actually transitive, and why. For daily English language lessons and tips, like our Learn English Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, or ...

The anecdote is often used to explain the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs, even though it was not really true, even at the time. “Smell” as a transitive verb is completely ...

Focuses on understanding verbs, explaining their two main categories: action verbs and state of being verbs. It distinguishes between transitive and intransitive verbs based on whether they have a ...