Texas Court Reporter Practice Exam

In grammatical structure, "laid" is the past tense of which verb?

1. Lay

2. Lie

3. Set

4. Place

The correct answer is: Lay

The correct choice is "lay," as "laid" is indeed the past tense of the verb "lay." Understanding this verb's usage is crucial because "lay" typically means to place something down or to set something in a specific position, which directly leads to "laid" as its past tense form. For contextual clarity, "lie" is often confused with "lay," but it refers to the act of reclining or being in a horizontal position, and its past tense is "lay." The verbs "set" and "place" relate to the act of putting something down, but neither has "laid" as its past tense. Therefore, focusing on the verb forms and their meanings clarifies why "lay" is the correct choice when discussing the past tense form "laid."