My mother taught fourth grade for over 30 years. As a result, whenever I misspoke grammatically, it resulted in a quick tutorial often in the form of conjugation. She would often interrupt my great story to say: Today, I run. Yesterday, I ran. Many times, I have run. And, so on.

While style rules have changed since those days, others have not. Writing, for example, is taking on an increasingly less formal approach in many instances. Starting a sentence with a conjunction is no longer taboo. Nor is ending a sentence with a preposition or writing with a few fragments.

Grammar, however, is still grammar with very few changes. What is changing is that more and more people are making mistakes. It amazes me to see news anchors of major stations use third-person pronouns as the subject (e.g., Me and my colleagues got caught up in this debate versus My colleagues and I got caught up in this debate).

It's quite scary to see the pervasiveness of the sloppiness of the English language, and my guess is that more and more people just do not know the difference. Ignorance can be bliss.

Some of us, though, still take pride in using correct grammar when possible. For those of you who do, one of the most common misuses of words occurs with the verbs lie and lay. To lie or not to lie? That is the question.

This one can just be confusing, so here are some simple tricks to remember which is which.

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First of all, let's start with the present tense and get a clear understanding as when to use each word.

According to www.dictionary.com:

LIE

• to be in a horizontal, recumbent, or prostrate position, as on a bed or the ground; recline.
• (of objects) to rest in a horizontal or flat position.

LAY

• to put or place in a horizontal position or position of rest; set down: to lay a book on a desk.

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Keep in mind, then, that if you or something is resting in a position, you would use "lie" or a tense of it. Examples are: I lie on the bed when exhausted. He lies down when sick. The book lies sideways on the book case.

If you are placing something somewhere, then use the word "lay" or a tense of it. Examples are: Lay that book down on the book case. Lay your head on the pillow and rest. She lay her head down when confronted with the truth.

It's easy enough to get these confused when in the present tense, but then we add other tenses into the mix.

For lie, it's lay, lain and lying.

So here we go (and my mother would be proud).

Today, I lie on the couch.

Yesterday, I lay on the couch.

Many times, I have lain on the couch.

I was lying on the couch yesterday.

For lay, it's laid, laid, laying.

Today, you lay pen on the table.

Yesterday, you laid the pen on the table.

Many times, you have laid the pen on the table.

You were laying the pen on the table when I saw you.

As I said earlier, it's tricky, and that's why so many mistakes are made. The best advice I can give you is to spend some time memorizing the various tenses of each verb and then try to practice them daily. You could say these sentences in the shower, for example.

Once you get it firmly placed in your mind, you will impress those who are in the know with your correct usage of these words. Grammar still matters to some of us, and it's fun to speak properly.

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