Sit and set

‘Sit’ and ‘set’ are very similar to ‘lie’ and ‘lay’. ‘Sit’ is similar to ‘lie’ - they both describe something you do, and they are both intransitive verbs. ‘Set’ and ‘lay’ are also similar - they both describe how you place something and they are both transitive verbs (what you do to something). The big difference is that there is a lot less variation in the spelling between the different tenses for ‘sit’ and ‘set’. ‘Sit’ is only spelt three different ways for the four tenses. ‘Set’, is only spelt two different ways for all four tenses. Here is a summary of the various tenses of each of these verbs:

Tense	Sit	Set
Present	Sit	Set
Past	Sat	Set
Present participle	Sitting	Setting
Past participle	Sat	Set

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