Lay vs Laid

[aftonrhodes]

Apologies if this is in the wrong section, I had a quick look around to see if there was a Q&A area for writers and I'm hoping this is a suitable place.

I'm currently using Microsoft Word 2010, with UK grammar/language spell check. However it has the habit of wanting to correct "lay" to "laid" quite frequently.
Somebody picked up on a draft that I wrote, saying that I'd put "laid" where it should have been "lay", however the spell check insisted and after I did a bit of research into the context, I realised it should have been what I originally wrote.

Anyhow, I'm in the process of proof reading another part of my story and I've once again come across that wriggly line under the word "lay". I edited it and then put it back several times and can't for the life of me figure out which it should be. It's a flashback of sorts, which I already described in detail in a previous section of the book (thus the quick descriptions second time round).

Any help would be appreciated (and extra information regarding "lay" and "laid").

Here is the area in question:

"The second time she saw, she was standing in the bathroom, looking down at herself submerged beneath the water. Gabriel was in here and suddenly he lifted her body out of the bath and lay her before him, tucking her clothes into his pockets."

 

[chrispenycate]

I lie – I lay – I have lain (myself, normally on something soft if I can manage it).

I lay – I laid – I have laid (an egg, a brick, perhaps a table - anyway, something apart from myself. And even an eider duck can't lay down, except in pas tense.)

Thus "I laid her down on a pile of feathers and lay down beside her."

Since it's all from the same root, and change is the only constant, the reflexive form is poorly defined "I laid me down in a bed of roses (and am picking out thorns to this day)" or "I lay myself down" ; I have a preference for the additional object (oneself) making the verb "to lay".

 

[RJM Corbet]

I don't use the (green line) grammar check. I just use the (red line) spell check. Microsoft word is essentially for business offices, in my opinion -- not for writers and poets and creative people.

On the question of 'lay' and 'laid' ... hmmm. I must say I've never really though about it. But no doubt others will have an answer for you soon ...

EDIT: Crispen's post landed while I was typing mine -- so there you are. If he says that's the way it is, you can believe him.

 

[Hex]

I would have said it's "he lifted her body out of the bath and laid her before him"

(which I think is what Chrispen said, but I'm not confident enough of that to start "As Chrispen said...")

 

[Ian Whates]

"Gabriel was in here and suddenly he lifted her body out of the bath and laid her before him, tucking her clothes into his pockets."

Definitely 'laid'. Should Gabriel 'lay her before him', he would be doing to her what a chicken does to an egg.

 

[Hex]

Definitely 'laid'. Should Gabriel 'lay her before him', he would be doing to her what a chicken does to an egg.

Which would be fairly impressive. And uncomfortable.

 

[aftonrhodes]

Haha! Thank you all for your advice, especially Chrispenycate - that was very useful and a far better explanation than what I hoped for.

I would turn the grammar check off, however it appears to be correct this time so I'll let it have it's chance!

 

[Jake Reynolds]

I only use the grammar check for passive voice, and even then I ignore it half the time. Or rather, half the time it is ignored by me.