[Vocabulary] fix a beach umbrella

[nininaz]

Hello all,
Can all of these verbs come with "a beach umbrella"?


As we reached there, we first tried to fix/set up/install/put a big beach umbrella in the sand, and then we lied on the beach listening to the sound of the waves at short intervals.

 

[emsr2d2]

In answer to your main question, use "put up" with "umbrella".

Note the following points:

"As we reached there" is unnatural. Say what/where it was that you reached.
It should be "We lay on the beach".

Lie (to be in a prone/horizontal position) > lay > have lain
Lay (to put something down) > laid > have laid
Lie (to say something that isn't true) > lied > have lied

I lie on the beach for an hour every day.
I lay on the beach for an hour yesterday.
I have lain on the beach for an hour every day for the last two years.

I lay my book on the table every night when I finish reading.
I laid my book on the table ten minutes ago.
I have laid my book on the table every night since I was a child.

I lie in job interviews.
I lied about my age to get into a bar last night.
I have lied about my age hundreds of times.

 

[GoesStation]

I just want to make clear that the verbs lie, lay and lie are not my fault.

 

[nininaz]

"As we reached there" is unnatural. Say what/where it was that you reached.

As we reached to the town/at the beach. However, can we use 'there' to avoid repeating the place within a paragraph?

Thanks for all informative information about the verb lay,lie.

 

[emsr2d2]

Remove "to" and "at".

As we reached the beach, ...

No, even if you've previously specified that it's a beach, "As we reached there" doesn't work.

 

[andrewg927]

Hello all,
Can all of these verbs come with "a beach umbrella"?


As we reached there, we first tried to fix/set up/install/put a big beach umbrella in the sand, and then we lied on the beach listening to the sound of the waves at short intervals.

Fix, Put up are okay. Set up and Install are acceptable but not natural.

 

[emsr2d2]

"Fix" wouldn't work in BrE. We really only use it to mean "repair" (Please fix my broken phone) or "arrange/set" (Let's fix a time now for our meeting next Tuesday).

 

[andrewg927]

In AE, fix means a lot of different things. It could mean prepare a meal as in fixing a meal. I don't suppose you use that in BE.

 

[emsr2d2]

We don't use it that way, and I am aware of that use in AmE. However, I still didn't think "I got to the beach and fixed my umbrella" would be used to mean "... put up my umbrella".

 

[andrewg927]

I may have used fix in that sense in something like "let's fix our umbrella right here, this spot". Honestly, I don't know how common it is for people to use fix in that sense. I was looking at the OP, "we first tried to fix a big beach umbrella in the sand." I would understand what it means and I think a lot of people would understand what it means. Whether it is a correct use of fix is something I would have to leave to you and other English teachers' expertise.