The phrase "able to lay a" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing someone's capability to place or set something down, often in a figurative sense.
Example: "She is able to lay a solid foundation for the project with her extensive experience."
Alternatives: "capable of establishing a" or "able to set a".
But there were lay experts who said that it was all a fake that no doctor had been able to lay a hand on Earl to examine him.
By integrating findings from all the cognitive sciences, Feldman is able to lay a foundation for an explicitly neural theory of language that is an integral part of contemporary science.
The inside-centre Hastings was up in support and took the final pass to go under the posts with no Englishman able to lay a hand on the Scot.
While one handyman might be able to lay a floor and paint a room with skill, another may specialize in tasks like assembling furniture and hanging a flat screen television.
"We've got some big forwards that will be able to lay a platform and hopefully off the back of that he'll be able to play some of the stuff that's seen him get in the England team".
This was a game in which players could toss their opponents into a never-ending beat-down juggle where, provided they time their hits correctly, the poor sod they were hammering wouldn't be able to lay a glove on them.
"You don't need to be able to lay an egg," he says, "to know when one is rotten".
The back trunk is a bit cramped but by pulling down the seats you have enough room to haul almost anything you need – as you see in the photos we were able to lie a buggy flat in there with room to spare.
However, Cable – a drummer able to lay down a song in two takes – increasingly felt frustrated with the numbing perfectionism of modern rock recording and soon tired of the band.
He/she needs to be able to lay down a lot of fire power in a short amount of time.
In a swift counter-attack Orjan Berg was able to lay off a perfect ball for Brattbakk to rifle home from the edge of the box.
