Lie or Lay? I need a one sentence beta!!

[sid]

Actually, I know it's "lie", I'm just not positive which form of the word to use.  Which means it could wind up being "lay"!  Help me please?  

Solved!  Thank you!

Comments

[sid]

Lying on the ground, looking up at the grey sky, he saw a vision of an angel hovering over him.

That's the way I wrote it, but my research indicates that perhaps it should be 'laying'.

??

[cleothemuse.livejournal.com]

"Lying" is correct. If you said "as he lay on the ground, looking up", then it would be lay. In this case, if I remember my sentence structure terminology correctly, the infinitive "to lie" should be a present participle, which is "lying".

[sid]

I don't understand a word either of you said, but you agree, and that's what counts! Thanks so much!

[cleothemuse.livejournal.com]

...and we even used the same example for "lay"!

You're most welcome. All this crap in my brain's gotta be good for something once in a while.

[sid]

The crap in my brain got me into the Jeopardy! contestant pool, but is useless in most situations, lol.

(and no, sadly, they never called me to be on the show. *pouts*)