Introductory material

Read and translate the following sentences paying special attention to the words in bold type.

1. Walter, lying on his camp bed, a few feet away from her, lay awake. 2. In the harbour the yachts and the fishing-boats lay motionless on the still water. 3. He awoke in his right mind lying on his back on a rocky ledge. 4. Could there be any doubt where the truth lay? 5. The road lay straight as a lance through the grassland. 6. On her face there lay a look of indomitable satisfaction. 7. There were a few letters lying about and I read them. 8. Fowls scratched among the huts, dogs lay sleeping on the grass, and goats friezed a kopje that jutted up beyond a tributary of the river lying like an enclosing arm round the village. 9. The yard lay between the railway line and rear premises of the red-brick Vaults. 10. Where does the strength of the period lie? 11. Only I won’t be like you! I won’t lie down and allow life to walk over me. 12. For several months the river had lain shallow and muddy under the heat of the blazing sun. 13. The grain, fat and heavy with the damp, rich springtime, had lain heavily down under the last downpour. The lupines lay down like the grain, too fat, too heavy to hold up their heads. 14. He felt that he would like to lie down there now. His head was giddy again, the thick slice of new bread which he had eaten so ravenously lay like lead on his stomach. 15. I awoke at dawn and for a long time looked at the egg that lay on the table. I wondered why eggs had to be and why from the egg came the hen who again laid the egg. 16. He yawned. He stretched his arms like a sleepy man. He took off his coat, rolled it into a bundle, and laid it on the sidewalk. Heedless of those who stopped to gape at him, he slowly went through the gestures of undressing, putting on pyjamas and getting ready for bed. He mumbled instructions to an imaginary valet, remarking that he wouldn’t need a bath in the morning because he decided to lie down and die. He lay down on the sidewalk and carefully drew imaginary covers over himself. 17. How long am I going to be laid up, Doc? 18. The wood fires were laid on beds of never-cooling ash inside chimneys as wide as a little room. 19. They laid stress on four points. 20. I asked him directly, «What are yon up to, Jones?» «Laying the foundations of a fortune, old man. Why not come in with me?» 21. I read everything I could lay my hands on. 22. The little desk-table was laid neatly for breakfast, with two plates and several bowls of fruit: apples, bananas, oranges, apricots. There were also bread, butter, Swiss cherry jam, and a big jug of milk. Flora had laid it all out with loving care. 23. Gregory betook himself to Blount’s office and there laid the whole case before him. 24. The stone laid the flesh open to the bone and the blood spurted forth. 25. The former owner had laid out flower-beds. 26. As she laid down the receiver she glanced at the clock. 27. He laid his hand on the door-knob and turned it slowly. 28. Unfortunately I’m out of eggs. Mother’s hens are not laying at the moment.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

Lie v. i. (lay, lain; pres. p. lying) 1. (of persons or animals) To have one’s body in a more or less horizontal position; to be or put oneself flat on a horizontal surface or in a resting position; to be at rest, e.g. to ~ still; to ~: on one’s back; don’t ~ in bed all morning; 2. (of things) To be resting flat on smth., to be at rest, usually more or less horizontally, e.g. the book lay open on the table; how long has your bicycle been lying out on the wet grass? 3. To be kept, remain, in a certain state or position, e.g. money lying idle in the bank; towns lying in ruins; to ~ helpless; the snow lay thick on the ground; the fields lay thickly covered with snow. 4. To be spread out to view; extend; stretch; to be situated, e.g. the valley lay before us; the fleet lay off the headland; the road ~ s straight across the prairie; ships lying at anchor; life ~s in front of you. 5. (of abstract things) To be, exist, be in a certain position or manner, e.g. the trouble ~s in the engine; he knows where his interest ~s; his motives ~ hidden; it~s with you to decide this question; the choice ~s between the two; the remedy ~s within yourself.

Lay v. t. (laid, laid) 1. To put on a surface; to put down, e.g. to ~ one’s hand on smb.’s arm. 2. To put down in a certain position; to place, e.g. to ~ bricks; to ~ the foundation; to ~ linoleum. 3. (of birds and insects) To produce and deposit, e.g. Hens ~ eggs. 4. (with various objects) To put or keep down; to cause to be in a certain position; to suppress, e.g. to sprinkle water on the road to ~ the dust; to ~ crops; to ~ one’s doubts. 5. (pass.) To set (a story, etc.) in time or place; e.g. the scene of the story is laid in Coventry. 6. To place or arrange (ready for use, etc.), e.g. to ~ the cloth; to ~ a fire. 7. To set a trap, etc., e.g. to ~ a snare for smb. 8. To attribute, as­cribe, charge, e.g. the murder was laid to Jones; to ~ the blame for smth. on smb.; to ~ an accusation against smb.; to ~ smth. to smb.’s door.

To lie (лежать) and to lay (класть, положить) are very frequently confused because of the similarity, and partial coincidence in form and proximity in meaning. The importance of these two verbs can hardly be overestimated. Both occur very frequently in Modern English, are highly polysemantic, enter a great number of phrases and can be used with many different prepositions and postpositions. Try and memorize as many of the examples suggested as possiblie, and avoid confusing them.