Lay or Lie in “what powers lies between their hands”?
This is for sure a duplicate question, but I'm sorry I'm just getting confused no matter how many articles I read. In the sentence,
And still they are not aware what powers lies between their hands!
Should this be lays, lies? And what should it be if the tense were changed to "were not aware"?
word-usage verbs lie-lay-lain-laid
edited Nov 13 '18 at 4:28
200_success
6,45112751
asked Nov 12 '18 at 22:31
1252748
226129
add a comment |
This is for sure a duplicate question, but I'm sorry I'm just getting confused no matter how many articles I read. In the sentence,
And still they are not aware what powers lies between their hands!
Should this be lays, lies? And what should it be if the tense were changed to "were not aware"?
word-usage verbs lie-lay-lain-laid
edited Nov 13 '18 at 4:28
200_success
6,45112751
asked Nov 12 '18 at 22:31
1252748
226129
6
It should be lie. Not lies, not lays.
– Robusto
Nov 12 '18 at 22:32
3
Or power instead of powers
– Henry
Nov 12 '18 at 23:01
@Henry good point. Worth some thought thanks!
– 1252748
Nov 12 '18 at 23:05
add a comment |
This is for sure a duplicate question, but I'm sorry I'm just getting confused no matter how many articles I read. In the sentence,
And still they are not aware what powers lies between their hands!
Should this be lays, lies? And what should it be if the tense were changed to "were not aware"?
word-usage verbs lie-lay-lain-laid
edited Nov 13 '18 at 4:28
200_success
6,45112751
asked Nov 12 '18 at 22:31
1252748
226129
This is for sure a duplicate question, but I'm sorry I'm just getting confused no matter how many articles I read. In the sentence,
And still they are not aware what powers lies between their hands!
Should this be lays, lies? And what should it be if the tense were changed to "were not aware"?
word-usage verbs lie-lay-lain-laid
word-usage verbs lie-lay-lain-laid
edited Nov 13 '18 at 4:28
200_success
6,45112751
asked Nov 12 '18 at 22:31
1252748
226129
edited Nov 13 '18 at 4:28
200_success
6,45112751
asked Nov 12 '18 at 22:31
1252748
226129
edited Nov 13 '18 at 4:28
200_success
6,45112751
edited Nov 13 '18 at 4:28
200_success
6,45112751
edited Nov 13 '18 at 4:28
200_success
6,45112751
6,45112751
asked Nov 12 '18 at 22:31
1252748
226129
asked Nov 12 '18 at 22:31
1252748
226129
asked Nov 12 '18 at 22:31
1252748
226129
226129
6
It should be lie. Not lies, not lays.
– Robusto
Nov 12 '18 at 22:32
3
Or power instead of powers
– Henry
Nov 12 '18 at 23:01
@Henry good point. Worth some thought thanks!
– 1252748
Nov 12 '18 at 23:05
add a comment |
6
It should be lie. Not lies, not lays.
– Robusto
Nov 12 '18 at 22:32
3
Or power instead of powers
– Henry
Nov 12 '18 at 23:01
@Henry good point. Worth some thought thanks!
– 1252748
Nov 12 '18 at 23:05
6
6
It should be lie. Not lies, not lays.
– Robusto
Nov 12 '18 at 22:32
It should be lie. Not lies, not lays.
– Robusto
Nov 12 '18 at 22:32
3
3
Or power instead of powers
– Henry
Nov 12 '18 at 23:01
Or power instead of powers
– Henry
Nov 12 '18 at 23:01
@Henry good point. Worth some thought thanks!
– 1252748
Nov 12 '18 at 23:05
@Henry good point. Worth some thought thanks!
– 1252748
Nov 12 '18 at 23:05
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
And still they are not aware what powers lie between their hands!
And still they were not aware what powers lay between their hands!
B1 [ I + adv/prep, L ]
present participle lying
past tense lay
past participle lain
If something lies in a particular place, position, or direction, it is
in that place, position, or direction
Lie (Cambridge)
Lie (Collins)
English verb: to lie
Present tense:
Singular: I lie, you lie, he/she/it lies.
Plural: we lie, you lie, they lie.
Past tense:
Singular: I lay, you lay, he/she/it lay.
Plural: we lay, you lay, they lay.
answered Nov 12 '18 at 22:36
Michael Harvey
5,64411119
add a comment |
I agree with the other answers but, just to confuse you further, there's another possibility.
And still they are not aware what power lies between their hands!
This means that they have power between their hands but they are not aware of it.
And still they are not aware what power lays between their hands!
This means that 'power' is treated as an agent and it places something unspecified into their hands, i.e.
"And still they are not aware of the thing that power lays between their hands!"
So my answer is that both are possible but they mean different things.
answered Nov 12 '18 at 23:57
chasly from UK
23k13069
To make the latter more clear: ...what [thing] power lays between....
– Drew
Nov 13 '18 at 3:59
Drew: no. Lays is the present tense of the transitive verb "to lay".
– Michael Harvey
Nov 13 '18 at 20:54
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
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And still they are not aware what powers lie between their hands!
And still they were not aware what powers lay between their hands!
B1 [ I + adv/prep, L ]
present participle lying
past tense lay
past participle lain
If something lies in a particular place, position, or direction, it is
in that place, position, or direction
Lie (Cambridge)
Lie (Collins)
English verb: to lie
Present tense:
Singular: I lie, you lie, he/she/it lies.
Plural: we lie, you lie, they lie.
Past tense:
Singular: I lay, you lay, he/she/it lay.
Plural: we lay, you lay, they lay.
answered Nov 12 '18 at 22:36
Michael Harvey
5,64411119
add a comment |
And still they are not aware what powers lie between their hands!
And still they were not aware what powers lay between their hands!
B1 [ I + adv/prep, L ]
present participle lying
past tense lay
past participle lain
If something lies in a particular place, position, or direction, it is
in that place, position, or direction
Lie (Cambridge)
Lie (Collins)
English verb: to lie
Present tense:
Singular: I lie, you lie, he/she/it lies.
Plural: we lie, you lie, they lie.
Past tense:
Singular: I lay, you lay, he/she/it lay.
Plural: we lay, you lay, they lay.
answered Nov 12 '18 at 22:36
Michael Harvey
5,64411119
add a comment |
And still they are not aware what powers lie between their hands!
And still they were not aware what powers lay between their hands!
B1 [ I + adv/prep, L ]
present participle lying
past tense lay
past participle lain
If something lies in a particular place, position, or direction, it is
in that place, position, or direction
Lie (Cambridge)
Lie (Collins)
English verb: to lie
Present tense:
Singular: I lie, you lie, he/she/it lies.
Plural: we lie, you lie, they lie.
Past tense:
Singular: I lay, you lay, he/she/it lay.
Plural: we lay, you lay, they lay.
answered Nov 12 '18 at 22:36
Michael Harvey
5,64411119
And still they are not aware what powers lie between their hands!
And still they were not aware what powers lay between their hands!
B1 [ I + adv/prep, L ]
present participle lying
past tense lay
past participle lain
If something lies in a particular place, position, or direction, it is
in that place, position, or direction
Lie (Cambridge)
Lie (Collins)
English verb: to lie
Present tense:
Singular: I lie, you lie, he/she/it lies.
Plural: we lie, you lie, they lie.
Past tense:
Singular: I lay, you lay, he/she/it lay.
Plural: we lay, you lay, they lay.
answered Nov 12 '18 at 22:36
Michael Harvey
5,64411119
edited Nov 13 '18 at 19:04
answered Nov 12 '18 at 22:36
Michael Harvey
5,64411119
answered Nov 12 '18 at 22:36
Michael Harvey
5,64411119
answered Nov 12 '18 at 22:36
Michael Harvey
5,64411119
5,64411119
add a comment |
add a comment |
I agree with the other answers but, just to confuse you further, there's another possibility.
And still they are not aware what power lies between their hands!
This means that they have power between their hands but they are not aware of it.
And still they are not aware what power lays between their hands!
This means that 'power' is treated as an agent and it places something unspecified into their hands, i.e.
"And still they are not aware of the thing that power lays between their hands!"
So my answer is that both are possible but they mean different things.
answered Nov 12 '18 at 23:57
chasly from UK
23k13069
To make the latter more clear: ...what [thing] power lays between....
– Drew
Nov 13 '18 at 3:59
Drew: no. Lays is the present tense of the transitive verb "to lay".
– Michael Harvey
Nov 13 '18 at 20:54
add a comment |
I agree with the other answers but, just to confuse you further, there's another possibility.
And still they are not aware what power lies between their hands!
This means that they have power between their hands but they are not aware of it.
And still they are not aware what power lays between their hands!
This means that 'power' is treated as an agent and it places something unspecified into their hands, i.e.
"And still they are not aware of the thing that power lays between their hands!"
So my answer is that both are possible but they mean different things.
answered Nov 12 '18 at 23:57
chasly from UK
23k13069
To make the latter more clear: ...what [thing] power lays between....
– Drew
Nov 13 '18 at 3:59
Drew: no. Lays is the present tense of the transitive verb "to lay".
– Michael Harvey
Nov 13 '18 at 20:54
add a comment |
I agree with the other answers but, just to confuse you further, there's another possibility.
And still they are not aware what power lies between their hands!
This means that they have power between their hands but they are not aware of it.
And still they are not aware what power lays between their hands!
This means that 'power' is treated as an agent and it places something unspecified into their hands, i.e.
"And still they are not aware of the thing that power lays between their hands!"
So my answer is that both are possible but they mean different things.
answered Nov 12 '18 at 23:57
chasly from UK
23k13069
I agree with the other answers but, just to confuse you further, there's another possibility.
And still they are not aware what power lies between their hands!
This means that they have power between their hands but they are not aware of it.
And still they are not aware what power lays between their hands!
This means that 'power' is treated as an agent and it places something unspecified into their hands, i.e.
"And still they are not aware of the thing that power lays between their hands!"
So my answer is that both are possible but they mean different things.
answered Nov 12 '18 at 23:57
chasly from UK
23k13069
answered Nov 12 '18 at 23:57
chasly from UK
23k13069
answered Nov 12 '18 at 23:57
chasly from UK
23k13069
answered Nov 12 '18 at 23:57
chasly from UK
23k13069
23k13069
To make the latter more clear: ...what [thing] power lays between....
– Drew
Nov 13 '18 at 3:59
Drew: no. Lays is the present tense of the transitive verb "to lay".
– Michael Harvey
Nov 13 '18 at 20:54
add a comment |
To make the latter more clear: ...what [thing] power lays between....
– Drew
Nov 13 '18 at 3:59
Drew: no. Lays is the present tense of the transitive verb "to lay".
– Michael Harvey
Nov 13 '18 at 20:54
To make the latter more clear: ...what [thing] power lays between....
– Drew
Nov 13 '18 at 3:59
To make the latter more clear: ...what [thing] power lays between....
– Drew
Nov 13 '18 at 3:59
Drew: no. Lays is the present tense of the transitive verb "to lay".
– Michael Harvey
Nov 13 '18 at 20:54
Drew: no. Lays is the present tense of the transitive verb "to lay".
– Michael Harvey
Nov 13 '18 at 20:54
add a comment |
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6
It should be lie. Not lies, not lays.
– Robusto
Nov 12 '18 at 22:32
3
Or power instead of powers
– Henry
Nov 12 '18 at 23:01
@Henry good point. Worth some thought thanks!
– 1252748
Nov 12 '18 at 23:05