Question

fix the two words that are used incorrectly.

before my dog would lay down, he would often paw at his chosen spot and precede to circle the area. this ritual is similar to the behavior displayed by wild dogs when digging shelters.

Explanation:

1. "lay" should be "lie" because "lie" is the intransitive verb meaning to recline (the dog is the one reclining, so we use "lie"). "lay" is transitive and requires a direct object (e.g., "lay a book").
2. "precede" should be "proceed" because "proceed" means to go forward or continue with an action, while "precede" means to come before (in time or order), which doesn't fit the context of the dog starting to circle.

Answer:

• Replace "lay" with "lie".
• Replace "precede" with "proceed".