Grammatically correct??

[nouamaneer]

Dear,

A student of mine has written this sentence and I felt that there is something awkward in it. I don't know what it is. I hope you can point the problem with sentence. It could be just diction.

While I was lying on my bed, a friend texted me

Thanks,

[TheParser]

Dear,

A student of mine has written this sentence and I felt that there is something awkward in it. I don't know what it is. I hope you can point the problem with sentence. It could be just diction.

While I was lying on my bed, a friend texted me

Thanks,

NOT A TEACHER


(1) I do not have the confidence to answer your question.

(2) But I just wanted to congratulate your student on using "lying."

(3) I DO have the confidence to say that many (most?) Americans

of all ages would have written "laying." (Absolutely horrible!)

[English Freak]

Dear,

A student of mine has written this sentence and I felt that there is something awkward in it. I don't know what it is. I hope you can point the problem with sentence. It could be just diction.

While I was lying on my bed, a friend texted me

Thanks,

It's fine. However I'd rather use "when" instead of "while". And we normally say "lie in" but "lie on" is correct too, with a slightly different meaning. It means "sb is not in bed for sleeping maybe sitting on the bed to talk on the phone."

[SoothingDave]

"Lying on" the bed would mean on top of the covers/blankets. "Lying in" bed would be under the covers.