Misused Words Part 2

Misused Words

Elizabeth Rose

Part Two

Last month I promised you a very infamous word most writers hate, and I’m sure you’re wondering of which word I’m speaking. This is a word that I have always had a hard time with, and to be honest, am not sure I’ve really gotten it down pat. Most writers I know just avoid the word or replace it with place, set, rest, recline, rather than try to use it in its correct form. Yes, the word I’m speaking of is LAY. So, let me try to explain this without confusing you further.

Lay and Lie

Lay speaks of the act of setting something down.

Lie is used when referring to the act of reclining or just sitting somewhere.

Example: Please lay the book on the desk and lie down on the floor.

Seem simple? Well, maybe it is until you start getting into the past tense of each of the words.

Lay becomes laid (not layed) in the past tense. And in the perfect tenses it becomes have, had or will have laid.

But lie in its past tense becomes lay, believe it or not. In the perfect tenses it will be have, had or will have lain.

Confused yet? I know I am. Let me try a few examples to make this easier. I’ll take the first example and change it to past tense.

Example: After Kerry laid (past tense of lay) the book on the desk, she lay (past tense of lie) on the floor.

And now for the past perfect form.

Example: John told me that Kerri had laid the book on the desk and then had lain on the floor.

Phew! Does that clear it up a bit?

One last thing. Kerri may be laying the book on the desk, but if Kerri is not in the midst of the action, then the book is lying on the desk.

Hope this helps!

Now, on to the next. Let’s keep this one a bit easier to give our minds time to rest after that last one.

Their, There and They’re

These words may all sound the same, but have very different meanings.

Their is used to show the possessive form of they.

There means the opposite of here.

They’re is the contraction of they are.

Example: The Jones family is going to give my family their old car.

Example: There is not another car like it.

Example: They’re not going to be happy when they find they’ve given away a collector’s dream.

Disinterested and Uninterested

While these two words are very similar in meaning, and by looking in the dictionary you may not be able to tell them apart, there is a slight difference.

Disinterested is used when trying to show that someone is impartial

Uninterested basically means bored.

Example: How can you remain disinterested as to which of the two men your mother will marry?

Example: I became uninterested in watching the documentary on the mating process of roaches.

Former and Late

Former would refer to someone who has filled a previous position, yet they are still alive.

Late would be used when referring to someone who is dead.

Example: My former editor liked alpha male characters. (This means she is no longer your editor, and you have a new one.)

Example: My late editor liked to smoke constantly. (This means the editor has died – probably from inhaling all that smoke – just kidding.)

Prostate and Prostrate

This is one you’ll want to be sure to get right or it could be very embarrassing.

Prostate refers to the male gland organ.

Prostrate (with an r) refers to kneeling in front of someone or lying on the ground.

Example: My uncle is seeing a doctor because of problems with his prostate gland.

Example: The ancient Greeks would fall prostrate in front of the statues of the gods every time they went to the temple to worship.

And one last definition before I leave you to think on all this.

Farther and Further

Farther is used when referring to physical distance.

Further is used for nonphysical distance.

Example: Farther on down the road, you’ll find a very nice restaurant.

Example: I refuse to think any further about the fact I am about to do a very dangerous task.

Good luck in your writing, and I hope my explanations will help you decipher which word to use in all situations.

Elizabeth Rose

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