Sit / Set
Who / What is sitting – the subject or the object?
sit — set
Sit vs. Set
| SIT | SET |
|---|---|
Use sit for an action that a person or animal does by oneself. Sit is an intransitive verb – it does not take an object. |
Use set for an action that a person does to someone or something else. Set is a transitive verb – it requires an object. (to place, to position) |
My dog is sitting by the door. (present progressive) |
The woman is setting the pup next to its mother. (present progressive) |
My dog sits next to my desk while I am working. (present) |
She sets the pup down next its mother so it can nurse. (present) |
She sat down next to me and stayed there. (past) |
She set the pup down next its mother a minute ago. (past) |
She has sat with me several times before. (present perfect) |
She has set her down several times, but it wanders away. (present perfect) |
Sit down! Good dog. (command) |
Set the pup down and leave it alone. (command) |
Related page: Intransitive verbs
SIT – Additional Meanings
| MEANING | EXAMPLES |
|---|---|
POSE (v.) |
He sat for an artist who painted his picture. It took several sittings. (past tense) |
TO BE LOCATED (v.) |
Our house sits on a hill over the town. (present tense) |
REST OR LIE (v.) |
He has an aura of greatness that sits upon him. (present tense) |
REMAIN INACTIVE (v.) |
Congress let the bill sit for several months. |
HOLD A POSITION (v.) |
Thurgood Marshall sat on the Supreme Court for twenty-four years. (past tense) |
BABYSIT (v.) |
She baby sits for us every Saturday night. |
PHRASAL VERBS SIT DOWN (v.) |
Please sit down and stay for a while. (be seated) |
SIT UP (v.) |
Sit up straight and put your hands in your lap. (maintain good posture) |
SIT ON/UPON (v.) |
They sat on the news for several weeks before revealing the truth. (hid) |
SIT IN (v.) |
The violinist had to sit in for another musician who was ill. (take the place of) |
SIT OUT (v.) |
Because he had a cold, he had to sit out the next game. (be absent from) |
EXPRESSIONS SIT PRETTY (v.) |
He was sitting pretty until the police figured out his scam and sent him to jail. (be in a comfortable situation) |
SIT TIGHT (v.) |
Just sit tight. We'll be there in a few minutes. (remain patient and calm) |
SIT ON ONE'S HANDS (v.) |
The officials sat on their hands instead of taking action. (failed to take appropriate action) |
SET – Additional Meanings
| MEANING | EXAMPLES |
|---|---|
SET THE TABLE (v.) |
She set the table with her best silverware. (past tense) |
SET (v.) (place in position) |
She set the painting on end because it looked better that way. (past) |
SET FIRE (v.) |
They set fire to his house. (past tense) |
SET HAIR (v.) |
The hairdresser washed and set my grandmother's hair. (put in rollers to curl) |
SET THE VALUE (v.) |
The agent set the value of our house at one million dollars. (past tense) |
SET TO WORK (v.) |
Snow White set to work cleaning up the seven dwarves house. (past tense) |
SET A DATE (v.) |
We set our wedding date for August 25. (past tense) |
SET FREE (v.) |
She opened the bird cage and set the pigeon free. (past tense) |
SET LIMITATIONS (v.) |
The government set a limit on how much they would loan the automakers. (past tense) |
SET ONE'S MIND (v.) |
You can achieve anything you want if you set your mind to it. (past tense) |
SET A GOOD EXAMPLE (v.) |
By helping others, he set a good example for his kids. (past tense) |
SET A FAST PACE (v.)) |
Michael Phelps set a fast pace for all the other swimmers. (past tense) |
SET A DEVICE (v.) |
He set the clocks to the correct time. Then he set the thermostat to 68 degrees. (past tense) |
SET A DIAMOND (v.) |
The jeweler set four diamonds and two pearls on her wedding ring. |
SET A FOUNDATION (v.) |
They set the bridge supports in concrete. (to place or plant firmly - past tense) |
SET A LIMB (v.) |
The doctor set his leg after he had broken it. (reposition or straighten a broken bone - past tense) |
SET TO MUSIC (v.) |
The musician set the words to music. (wrote music for lyrics - past tense) |
SET SAIL (v.) |
The ship set sail at dawn. (went to sea - past tense) |
SET (v.) (HARDEN OR GEL) |
The carpenter glued the leg on the chair and let it set for 24 hours. (harden- past tense) |
SUNSET (N.) / SET (v.) |
Sunset is at 8:30 p.m. The sun sets later in summertime. |
SET A RECORD (v.) |
Michael Phelps set a record for winning the most swimming competitions. (past tense) |
SET ABOUT (v.) (begin) |
He set about putting is finances in order. (past tense) |
SET AGAINST (v.) (oppose) |
He was set against borrowing any money. |
SET OUT (v.) (begin with determination) |
We set out to win the tournament. |
SET APART (v.) (distinguish) |
Her bright red hair set her apart from all the other performers. |
PHRASAL VERBS SET UP (v.) (initiate, install, arrange) |
He set up my computer with speakers, a printer and a scanner. |
SET OFF |
As soon as it was dark, we set off the fireworks. (exploded) |
Common Mistakes
| ERROR | FIX |
|---|---|
I think I'll set down for a rest. |
I think I'll sit down for a rest. (intransitive) |
Set down! |
Sit down. (intransitive) |
She has setted the table already. |
She has set the table already. (past participle is same as present) |
Practice1
Sit-Set Transitive and Intransitive Use
- Select the response that best completes the sentence.
- Then compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button.
Practice 2
Sit-Set Expressions
- Select the response that best completes the sentence.
- Then compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check" button.