If you can pick the correct option within a minute, you deserve a big prize. Just send your account details and wait for a heavy dollar alert. So, what is your answer? The final answer!
You may find the question difficult – at least tricky – based on the dramatic ways ‘lie’ and ‘lay’ transform tense-wise. While ‘lie’ transforms into ‘lied’ (as past tense form) in some contexts, it becomes ‘laid’ in another. Also, ‘lay’ can be the present simple form in certain clauses but past tense in others. Consider these sentences:
They always lie to us.
They lied to us about the contract.
I want to lie on the floor for some minutes.
I laid on the floor for some minutes.
Lizards lay eggs like hens.
The lizard laid eggs inside the pantry.
Concerning the proliferation of arms, the blame lies with the government.
I can hear moving songs from the stadium as the former governor’s body lies in state.
What the above analysis suggests is that one should always be careful and probably doublecheck whenever one has to use any of the versions.
Not telling the truth?
Back to the topic question, apart from having various past tense/participle forms, ‘lie’ has more than one meaning. It can mean not telling the truth:
The pastor said it was a sin to lie.
It can mean to be in a position in which your body is flat on the floor, a bed, table etc:
It’s not good to lie on the dirty floor.
In ‘lie ahead’, the word refers to something that will happen (to someone) in the future:
He believes trouble lies ahead because his brother slapped a military officer.
He says success lies in store for us.
The last possibility (exist) is reflected in the topic statement: He said a great future laid/lay/lied/lain ahead of Nigeria. The poser, however, remains what the past tense of ‘lie’ is in the context. It is ‘lay’:
He said a great future lay ahead of Nigeria.
This is not the first time we would treat what I can now refer to as the l-verbs. You can thus visit the Punch archive for more explanation in the older lessons. Meanwhile, study the following too:
Telling lies
She lies almost every day.
She lied yesterday.
She has lied to Kemi too.
Lying down
Don’t lie on the dirty mat.
You lay on it yesterday.
You have lain on the dirty mat again.
Lay carpet, laying eggs
The manager wants a professional to lay the carpet.
My birds lay eggs daily.
My birds laid eggs daily before flood destroyed my poultry.
My birds have laid over 400 eggs today.
Lying head
Whatever challenge lying ahead will naturally evaporate.
The challenge that lay ahead of us last year has been overcome.
A lot of challenges had lain ahead of us but today the situation is different.
