That’s it, I give up….

Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars (‘if I just lay here ‘ etc) may also have something to do with it. Great song otherwise.

Kalu

Now I lay me down to sleep? Just got me wondering.

That’s all right, isn’t it? ‘Lay’ should be followed by an object (the table, an egg) which here is ‘me’. Archaic usage, but IMO nowt wrong with it.

I’m an editor/proofreader by profession and I find myself shouting at the TV when reporters make a grammatical error. The other day, one said that someone was ‘currently in a meeting at the moment’. It seems that the current trend is to use as many words as possible in a sentence, regardless of whether they have the same meaning: ‘also … as well’ is another example.

rockgran

Kalu - I think "Lay me down" is correct because you are placing your body on the bed.
I blame Bob Dylan for "Lay lady Lay". I always pictured a huge hen.

I agree. "Lay" is a transitive verb and has an object (in this case "me"). "Lie" can't have an object.

Snap, Witzend.

Kate54

Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars (‘if I just lay here ‘ etc) may also have something to do with it. Great song otherwise.

dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/lay-or-lie

"Lay" in the Snow Patrol lyrics is a past simple construction used as a conditional.

Kalu

Now I lay me down to sleep? Just got me wondering.

That is the whole point, actually, Kalu: in British English, as opposed to American, you can only use "lay" if it takes an object.

Now I lay me down to sleep - does precisely that and the sentence can be parsed as Subject I, verb lay, direct object me, Adverbial clause of reason or purpose to sleep.

In the Passive voice it is perfectly correct to say, "Queen Elizabeth was laid to rest in the royal vault beside her husband, Prince Phillip.

But incorrect to use lay in the present tense, or will lay in the future tense in an Active sentence.

Today’s blood pressure moment for me was both a presenter and a reporter talking about ‘referendums’.

Past simple construction, yes, but no mention in your link if this being used as conditional.
Surely, it should be ‘If I lie here….’

Sorry, meant to copy Growstuff’s comment there but it didn’t work!

Kate54

Past simple construction, yes, but no mention in your link if this being used as conditional.
Surely, it should be ‘If I lie here….’

But it is being used as a conditional. The "if" is the clue.

The complete sentence (question) is "If I just lay here,
would you lie with me and just forget the world?"

The "if" and "would" form a classic conditional construction, in which a simple past is used.

An alternative would be "if I were to lie here ...", but that wouldn't scan very well.

I have lain down to ease my referendums BP.

Not convinced! It’s meant to be present conditional I think. In the same way one would say to
One’s OH ‘ If I lie here long enough, will you bring me a cup of tea?’

One commentator said that the Queen’s coffin was being “laid on the altar”. “The Queen is now lying on the altar”. Grr Catafalque is an unusual word but it has been well explained this week.

Indeed. Not the altar. I wonder about some of the people employed to speak to millions …

I admit I wouldn't have caught that.

I also admit to telling my dog to 'lay down'; I guess I will have to change that. Always learning here on Gransnet...

Thank you for your replies. As I thought, I am laying myself down. Such a bugger knocking back strong pain relief at present which is causing foggy brain!?

I absolutely agree with this issue of grammar but also how presenters speak is poor to my mind. Are they really too lazy to pronounce words properly. Sends CC and myself into the stratosphere.

Lay Lady Lay always does my head in! But then, if Bob had sung Lie Lady Lie, the meaning would have completely changed, so maybe he shouldn't have written it that way at all.

have you tried following a tv programme with subtitles! now should that be program? my excuse,,,,old age!

rockgran I think you are on to something...women get laid. but doesn't Dylan then say 'lie upon the big brass bed?'

Soda pop- the of instead of have is my pet hate and makes me so angry.Also irritating is 10pm tonight or 10am this morning. PM has already identified night and AM morning.

Kate54

Not convinced! It’s meant to be present conditional I think. In the same way one would say to
One’s OH ‘ If I lie here long enough, will you bring me a cup of tea?’

No, it should be past conditional, which is normal English usage.

"If I lie here long enough, will you bring me a cup of tea?" doesn't have "would".