The verb to lay · Conjugation
Present Continuous of lay
The answer: am / is / are laying
A1
An action happening now, at the moment of speaking.
Quick answer
The Present Continuous of the verb to lay is am / is / are laying.
Example: I am laying the table right now.
Full conjugation in the Present Continuous
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | am laying | I'm laying |
| You | are laying | You're laying |
| He / She / It | is laying | He's / She's / It's laying |
| We | are laying | We're laying |
| You (pl.) | are laying | You're laying |
| They | are laying | They're laying |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. She laying ❌
The Present Continuous always has two parts: am, is or are + the -ing form. Without the helper verb, the sentence is wrong: say she is laying, I am laying. Without -ing, it is wrong too: she is lay ❌.
2. I am knowing ❌
Some verbs describe a state, not an action: know, understand, want, need, like, love, believe, remember. They are not normally used in the continuous, even for right now: I know the answer, I don't understand.
3. I am playing football every Saturday ❌
For habits and routines, use the Present Simple: I play football every Saturday. Use the Present Continuous only for now or for a short time: I am playing football right now. With lay: I lay for a habit, I am laying for right now.
Practice quiz
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Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate lay in the Present Continuous?+
Use am, is or are (the present of be) + the -ing form laying. Use am with I, is with he, she and it, and are with you, we and they. For example: I am laying, she is laying, they are laying. In speech, you usually say I'm, she's, they're.
When do you use the Present Continuous of lay?+
Use it for an action happening now, at the moment of speaking. Also use it for a situation that is only temporary (this week, these days). Common signal words are now, right now, at the moment and Look!
What is the difference between I lay and I am laying?+
I lay is the Present Simple: a habit or a fact. I am laying is the Present Continuous: an action happening now, or for a short time. Compare: I play football every Saturday and I am playing football right now.
How do you make the negative and the question of lay in the Present Continuous?+
Negative: add not after am, is or are: I'm not laying, she isn't laying, they aren't laying. Question: put am, is or are before the subject: Are you laying…?, Is she laying…? Do not add do: Do you are laying? is wrong.
What is the -ing form of lay?+
The -ing form of lay is laying. You just add -ing: lay → laying. You also use it in the Past Continuous (I was laying) and after a preposition (before laying).
Related pages: lay Present Continuous
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/lay/present-continuous
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
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