Fill in the blank with the most suitable word from the options given below:-
The nurse asked the patient to _____ down and take some rest for speedy recovery.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → lie
Lie and lay:
- Lie (to rest in a flat position) takes no object: lie – lay – lain.
- Lay (to put something down) takes an object: lay – laid – laid.
- This sentence: the patient is to rest his own body, with no object, and "asked ... to" needs the base form, so "to lie down".
- Complete sentence: The nurse asked the patient to lie down and take some rest for speedy recovery.
Example: The doctor told him to lie down for an hour after lunch.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: lain — Incorrect. Lain is the past participle of lie; it is used with has/have/had, not after "to".
Example: The letter had lain unopened for a week.
Option 3: lay — Incorrect.
- As the base form, lay means "put something down" and needs an object; "lay down" with no object is a common mistake for "lie down".
- As the past tense of lie, it cannot follow "to".
Example: Lay the book on the table.
Option 4: laid — Incorrect. Laid is the past tense and past participle of lay (put down); it cannot follow "to" and needs an object.
Example: She laid the keys on the desk.