Verbs That Will Ambush You!
It is sad, but English verbs will try to kill you. You might be at a party having fun when suddenly the tense you use is wrong, or the usage is incorrect, or you simply used the wrong word for the situation. Then there you are surrounded by people staring at you. You are defenseless. This cannot be allowed to happen. Here is a classic example.
The Vicious Lie / Lay
Oh my, how many people are victims of these two little verbs. I have counted five mistakes in one month even in the Washington Post newspaper. Here is the root of the evil. Lie is an intransitive verb. Remember that term? Intransitive basically means a verb does not have a noun immediately after it. Lie is defined as reposing or resting in a place. For instance, look at sentence (1).
1. I lie on the couch every day.
Do you see how couch is NOT immediately after lie? Lie is followed here by the preposition [on].
The verb lay, however, is a transitive verb, which means a noun can or must immediately follow it. It is defined as placing something. Look at sentence (2).
2. I lay my books on the table when I come home.
Notice that my books immediately follows lay. Many people get confused with what verb form is appropriate and often use lay when they should use lie. Sentence (3) is a typical example of a deadly sentence.
3. I lay on the floor when I watch television.
So, so sad. We can't let sentences like this exist. We must defend ourselves. Of course now you know that this sentence should be: I lie on the floor when I watch television.
Now let's look at another reason for this horrible confusion. Below are the present, past, and past participles of lie and lay.
1. I lie on the couch every day.
Do you see how couch is NOT immediately after lie? Lie is followed here by the preposition [on].
The verb lay, however, is a transitive verb, which means a noun can or must immediately follow it. It is defined as placing something. Look at sentence (2).
2. I lay my books on the table when I come home.
Notice that my books immediately follows lay. Many people get confused with what verb form is appropriate and often use lay when they should use lie. Sentence (3) is a typical example of a deadly sentence.
3. I lay on the floor when I watch television.
So, so sad. We can't let sentences like this exist. We must defend ourselves. Of course now you know that this sentence should be: I lie on the floor when I watch television.
Now let's look at another reason for this horrible confusion. Below are the present, past, and past participles of lie and lay.
Lie Lay
Lay Laid
Lain Laid
Lay Laid
Lain Laid
Do you notice anything suspicious? Yes, the past tense form of lie is the same as the present tense form of lay. And guess what? English speakers really don't like past tense verbs that don't have a [t] or [d] sound at the end. Many people just don't think lay sounds like a past tense verb. This is another reason why so many well-educated people still get tricked into using lay, laid, and laid for both verbs. It may take some practice, but as a college student or writing professional this is a mistake you cannot let ambush you.
Comprise and Consist
Here are two verbs that are just waiting to trip you in the dark. Again we will see that the protection you need is your knowledge of transitive and intransitive verbs. Comprise is a transitive verb that either can have or must have a noun or noun phrase following it. Look at sentence (4).
4. The class comprises a professor and twenty-one students.
The dreadful mistake that many writers make is using comprise as an intransitive verb. Look at the mistake in (5).
5. The class is comprised of a professor and twenty-one students. :( So sad.
Part of the problem is that comprise means "to consist of," so many people simply write "comprised of." But consist is an intransitive verb, which means it cannot have a noun or noun phrase immediately after it. Look at sentence (6).
6. The lesson consists of three interrelated activities.
Do you see the difference? It is important. The preposition [of] conveys the meaning of [consists] to the noun phrase [three interrelated activities].
4. The class comprises a professor and twenty-one students.
The dreadful mistake that many writers make is using comprise as an intransitive verb. Look at the mistake in (5).
5. The class is comprised of a professor and twenty-one students. :( So sad.
Part of the problem is that comprise means "to consist of," so many people simply write "comprised of." But consist is an intransitive verb, which means it cannot have a noun or noun phrase immediately after it. Look at sentence (6).
6. The lesson consists of three interrelated activities.
Do you see the difference? It is important. The preposition [of] conveys the meaning of [consists] to the noun phrase [three interrelated activities].
Now try this short quiz.
Troublesome Verb Practice
Don't get ambushed again!