Mastering Six Troublesome Verbs

1. Mastering Six Troublesome Verbs Why are these verbs troublesome? Lie/Lay Sit/Set Rise/Raise Review A Review B

2. Why are these verbs troublesome? Six verbs in English require special attention. lie lay sit set rise raise • Is the longhorn lying in the grass or in the grass? laying • Is Max setting or ? sitting • Does the temperature rise raise or ?

3. Why are these verbs troublesome? These verbs cause trouble because they sound alike. lie lie lay lay sit sit set set rise rise raise raise One vowel sound makes all the difference.

4. Why are these verbs troublesome? One way to distinguish these verbs is to ask . . . Does the verb have a direct object? Wes sits on the park bench. No object She sets the cup on the saucer. She sets the cup on the saucer. Object

5. Lie/Lay The verb lie means “to rest,” “to recline,” or “to be in place.” Keith lies on the sofa. The verb lay means “to put (something) in a place.” Lay generally takes an object. Object Mrs. Wong lays the platesdown. Mrs. Wong lays the plates down.

6. Lie/Lay lay lay These verbs are easy to confuse because the past form of lie is also lay. Base form of lay Please lay that package on the floor. Past form of lie The dog lay on the blanket all afternoon.

7. Lie/Lay [have] lain laid [have] laid Notice that the past participle of lie is [have] lain. This old camera has lain in the attic for years. The past and past participle forms of lay are laid and [have] laid. Rita carefully laid the figurine in the box. I have laid my slippers next to the bed.

8. Lie/Lay On Your Own Give the correct form of lie or lay in the blank for each of the following sentences. 1. Did you ______ this bag of oranges on the table? 2. The calf was ______ on a pile of straw. 3. The toddlers will ______ down for their naps now. 4. Marty had ______ peacefully on the hammock for hours. 5. The workers ______ the crate on the ground. [End of Section]

9. Sit/Set The verb sit means “to rest in a seated, upright position” or “to be in a place.” They are sitting at the table. The verb set means “to put (something) in a place.” Set generally takes an object. Object Derrick has set the ladder against the wall. Derrick has set the ladderagainst the wall.

10. Sit/Set sat [have] sat set [have] set The past and past participle forms of sit are sat. At earlier games we had sat near the back. At last night’s game we sat in the front row. The past and past participle forms of set are set and [have] set. I think she has set them too near the window. Polly set the plants on the windowsill.

11. Sit/Set On Your Own Give the correct form of sit or set in the blank for each of the following sentences. 1. We have ______ around the campfire a long while. 2. John has ______ aside money to buy an MP3 player. 3. You should not ______ on the damp ground. 4. Mr. Carr told me to ______ the equipment on his desk. 5. The groceries are still ______ on the kitchen counter. [End of Section]

12. Rise/Raise The verb rise means “to go upward.” Air bubbles rise to the surface. The verb raise means “to move (something) upward.” Raise generally takes an object. Object Raise the lid carefully. Raise the lid carefully.

13. Rise/Raise rose [have] risen raised [have] raised The past and past participle forms of rise are rose and [have] risen. Her brother had risen even earlier. She rose early that morning. The past and past participle forms of raise are raised and [have] raised. Mr. Taylorhas raised an interesting question. Several students raised their hands to answer.

14. Rise/Raise On Your Own Give the correct form of rise or raise in the blank for each of the following sentences. 1. Chris ______ early each day to train for the marathon. 2. Please ______ the blinds to give the plants some light. 3. The dough is ______ on the countertop. 4. Gerry has already ______ enough money for the trip. 5. The Bunsen burner flame has ______ too high. [End of Section]

15. Review A For each sentence, give the correct form of the verb indicated in parentheses. • In winter, my cat (lie) on a blanket in the closet. • She (lay) the baby in the crib and quietly left the room. • The flowers were (sit) by the door when I got home. • Has your cousin (set) a date for her wedding yet? • The temperature has already (rise) by ten degrees. 6. Tyrell (raise) the fallen child to her feet.

16. Review B If a verb in one of the following sentences is incorrect, give the correct form. If a sentence is already correct, label it C. 1. After the marathon, Millie laid down right on the sidewalk. 2. A large black cat was setting on the wall in our backyard. 3. Jody raised from her chair to greet the new student. 4. The audience rose to give the singer a standing ovation. 5. Dee lay that tile in the kitchen, and she did a good job. [End of Section]

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