they lay on the couch vs they lie on the couch

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'They lay on the couch' is the past tense of 'to lay,' which means to put something down. 'They lie on the couch' is the present tense of 'to lie,' which means to recline or rest in a horizontal position.

Last updated: March 17, 2024 • 575 views

they lay on the couch

This phrase is correct as the past tense of 'to lay,' which means to put something down.

This phrase should be used when referring to an action that happened in the past, such as 'Yesterday, they lay on the couch.'

Examples:

Yesterday, they lay on the couch.
Last week, they lay on the couch for hours.
When I entered the room, they lay on the couch.
After the party, they lay on the couch to rest.
During the movie, they lay on the couch.

Show examples from the web [+]

Jan 28, 2015 ... Christina Booth told authorities she carried them downstairs after attacking her toddler and cut their necks while they lay on the couch.
Jan 28, 2015 ... Christina Booth told authorities she carried them downstairs after attacking her toddler and cut their necks while they lay on the couch.
express theirs as they lay on the couch; in collaboration with them, he tried to discern the patterns and connections in the weave, the figure in the carpet.
They lay on the couch together, covered by a blanket, arranged in a way that it looks like Drew's head is on the other guy's body. "Not Wearing Pants" Dream ...

Alternatives:

they laid on the couch
they were lying on the couch
they had lain on the couch
they had been lying on the couch
they had been reclining on the couch

they lie on the couch

This phrase is correct as the present tense of 'to lie,' which means to recline or rest in a horizontal position.

This phrase should be used when referring to a current or habitual action, such as 'Every evening, they lie on the couch.'

Examples:

Every evening, they lie on the couch.
She lies on the couch when she reads.
They lie on the couch to relax.
He lies on the couch after work.
The cat lies on the couch all day.

Show examples from the web [+]

3)Someone who is so fat and disgusting that when they lie on the couch their labored breathing drives the observer into a homicidal rage as he watches them ...
... lives tend to progress faster and with greater comfort when they lie on the couch. I happen to prefer using a plain old, ordinary leather couch with some pillows.
And analysts adhere to the basic tenets of the practice Freud devised: they still see patients several times a week, sitting behind them as they lie on the couch ...
Oct 23, 2010 ... Afterward, they lie on the couch together and talk about what they liked about sex this time. Maybe they laugh about forgetting to close the ...

Alternatives:

they are lying on the couch
they lie down on the couch
they recline on the couch
they rest on the couch
they relax on the couch

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023

they lay on the couch vs they lie on the couch