I have a question.
I know that 'laid' is the past tense of 'lay' which generally means 'to put something down' like 'Birds lay eggs'.
That's why I thought it would be more logical to use 'lay' (the past tense of lie)
But maybe it's like He laid (himself) on his back or He was laid on his back?



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This is incorrect grammatically but commonly heard in casual spoken English.

Odexed is correct, however. Using "laid" in this particular sentence grates on my prescriptive grammarian brain, since I expect an object of the verb and don't encounter it here.

Strictly speaking, this sentence should read: "He lay on his back." (See Sentence #295394).
It would also be correct to write, for example, "He laid a hot-water bottle on his aching back."


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Thanks for clarifying that.


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Does this mean that he lay down on his back or that he was lying on his back?

laid -> lay [?]


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