Heh

[amberdulen]

Okay guys, grammar check.

On his face lay an expression of betrayal.

MS Word thinks that "lay" should be "laid". I think it should be "lay" but I'm never right about choosing between lay/laid/lain. Is MS Word blowing smoke or actually correct?

Comments

[roadkillroy]

I'd figured it would have pegged it for passive tense and suggested "An expression of betrayal lay upon his face"

[mbs_bookworm]

If it were me I'd just dodge the question and just use "was".

[engelhardtlm1]

I'm going to agree with "awkward word choice", but that it should be "lay", since it's intransitive. Though, in common speech, "lay" as a past tense is quickly being replaced by "laid", so that transitive/intransitive doesn't matter in past tense... Whether this is "correct" or not, it is certainly "true".

[scionofgrace]

Now, you know, this is Word we're talking about here.

"Lay" is correct.

[catamount3]

I find my grammar has been deteriorating since high school, but even so "laid" just sounds wrong. When I substitute it in for 'lay' my brain just goes, "Oh what now?" and doesn't follow through to the end of the sentance.