Are these sentences correct?

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

I have some sentences that I'm struggling with, can you help. I just need someone to help me confirm the correct form for the following sentences using standard English.

'He was stood there saying nothing.' - (Or is the correct form - 'he was standing there saying nothing.')

'I like laying on the grass and looking at the clouds.' - (Or is the correct form - 'I like lying on the grass and looking at the clouds.')

'It's the most beautiful painting I have ever seen.' or is the correct form 'It's the most beautiful painting I've ever seen.' or 'That is the most beautiful painting I have ever seen.'

Thank you.

ej

 

[Casiopea]

'He was stood there saying nothing.' - (Or is the correct form - 'he was standing there saying nothing.')

He stood there, saying nothing. (Simple Past)
He was standing there, saying nothing. (Past Continuous)

'I like laying on the grass and looking at the clouds.' - (Or is the correct form - 'I like lying on the grass and looking at the clouds.')

I like lying on the grass.
=> 'lay' is an action, 'lie' is a position.

'It's the most beautiful painting I have ever seen.' (Or is the correct form 'It's the most beautiful painting I've ever seen.' Or 'That is the most beautiful painting I have ever seen.'

All are fine.

All the best,

 

[RonBee]

Say:

• He was standing there saying nothing.

Say:

• I like lying on the grass and looking at the clouds.

For a usage note, go here: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=lay

All of your "painting" sentences are correct.



(I started before Cas did, but being slower (at least this time), I finished after she did.)

 

[hector51]

I like laying on the grass and looking at the clouds.' - (Or is the correct form - 'I like lying on the grass and looking at the clouds.')

the 2nd sentence is the correct one,because "lay" is a transitive verb,it means:
"to put somebody or something on a surface".

 

[billblakeman]

People do say "stood" and "laying" in those contexts but they are (grammatically speaking) wrong to do so. Maybe you could say that they are dialect forms of English because, as I say, a lot of people do say such things.

 

[Casiopea]

Welcome, Bill. :hi:

Interesting twist. :up: Consider, though, that a dialect is a form of language used in a particular region or by a particular social group. Given that definition, which dialect would [1] and [2] belong to?

[1] He was stood there saying nothing.
[2] I like laying on the grass and looking at the clouds.

'was stood' is rare, so it's possible that it's dialectal and not an error, per se, but 'laying' is a common error: speakers of British English, American English, Australian English, as well as other English dialects are known to say it [2]. ;-)

All the best.

 

[vivemafille]

'He was stood there saying nothing.' -
==> He stood there saying nothing. OR He just stood there saying nothing.
(You could say, "He was standing there" but only if you wanted to emphasize that something else was happening at the same time.)

'I like laying on the grass and looking at the clouds.'
==> I like lying on the grass and... (However, probably 90% of Americans incorrectly say "lay" instead of "lie.")
lie lay lain lay laid laid

'It's the most beautiful painting I have ever seen.' or is the correct form 'It's the most beautiful painting I've ever seen.' or 'That is the most beautiful painting I have ever seen.'
==> They're all fine.

 

[RonBee]

'I like laying on the grass and looking at the clouds.'
==> I like lying on the grass and... (However, probably 90% of Americans incorrectly say "lay" instead of "lie.")
lie lay lain lay laid laid

That just doesn't make any sense. How could 90% of native speakers speak their own language wrongly?

:roll: