Sentences of Troublesome Words

Sentences of troubesome words look at troublesome verb pairs – lie and lay, sit and set, and rise and raise.

Troublesome Words in Sentences

1. Lie and Lay – The Four Principal Parts

The verb lie means “to rest” or “to recline.” Lie is intransitive and it never takes a direct object.

The verb lay means “to put” or “to place” in a certain position. Lay is transitive and when it is in active voice, it always takes a direct object.

Which of the following sentences use the verbs “to lie” and “to lay” correctly?

In the afternoons my wife and I lay down and rest for a couple of hours. (incorrect)
Yesterday I lay on the bed because I was sick with the flu. (correct – past)
I saw the minister lying his message on the pulpit before a gust of wind blew it away. (incorrect)
The real estate agent always lays his hat on table when he visits our house. (correct – present)
My lazy sister is lying on the bed right now. (correct – present participle)
My lazy sister lay here yesterday. (correct – past)

Remember “to lie” is “to recline” and it is intransitive, that is, it never takes a direct object. An intransitive verb always describes an action undertaken by the subject.

Remember “to lay” is “to put” and it is transitive. When it it used in active voice, it always takes a direct object.

Present	Present Participle	Past	Past Participle
Lie	Lying	Lay	Lain
Lay	Laying	Laid	Laid

2. Sit and Set – The Four Principal Parts

The verb sit means “to be seated” or “to rest.” Sit is intransitive and it never takes a direct object.

The verb set means “to put” or “to place” something or to put in some condition. Set is transitive and when it is in active voice, it always takes a direct object.

Here are some correct examples of “to sit” and “to set.”

Bec sits by the window to read.
Bradley set the books on the shelf.
I will sit down and rest for awhile.
I will set the box on the floor.

Remember that “sit” means “to place oneself” and “set” means “to put” or “to place something.”

Present	Present Participle	Past	Past Participle
Sit	Sitting	Sat	Sat
Set	Setting	Set	Set

3. Rise and Raise – The Four Principal Parts

The verb rise means “to go up, come up, or move up.” Rise is intransitive and it never takes a direct object.

The verb raise means “to lift up, put up, or elevate.” Raise is transitive and it usually takes a direct object. Raise can also mean “to grow, bring up or stir up.”

Here are some examples of “rise” and “raise.”

Please rise when the President enters the room.
David raised green beans and tomatoes.
The jet rose quickly as it flew away into the distance.
The farmer raised beef cattle for the markets.

Present	Present Participle	Past	Past Participle
Rise	Rising	Rose	Risen
Raise	Raising	Raised	Raised

Concluding Comments

These troublesome words often seem to mean the same thing and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish which one to use.

However, if you keep in mind that one is an intransitive verb (describes an action undertaken by the subject – The sun rises every morning) and the other one is a transitive verb (the subject acts upon an object – I raised my hand).

If you keep these two features in mind, you should be able to master which troublesome words to use in sentences.