did you (lay, lie) your cap on the sidewalk?

Question

trying to find out some grammar homework.

Answer 1

One way to remember:  "lay" means "place"

 

LAAAAAY (If you prolong the vowel),  could "almost" rhyme with "PLAAAACE"

 

Lay is what you do to things.

Lie is what you to yourself. (Similar to the other meaning of lie--you lie to yourself!)

Answer 2

Lay uses an object where as Lie does not. 

 

I lay my cap on the sidewalk daily.  "The cap" being the object.  This is called a transitive verb.  

 

I lie down in my bed each night.  This does not use a direct object.  This is called an intransitive verb. 

 

While this is the grammatically correct term, in Standard American English (SAE), it is not always used this way.  Some people switch it without anyone realizing it. 

Answer 3

Did you lay your cap on the sidewalk?

 

Lay means to set or place, while lie means to recline.