lie lay laid, such confusing words, help plz!?

Question

THE WATCH------THERE UNNOTICED FOR SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE I FOUND IT.
1/ had laid
2/ had lain
3/ has been laying
4/ had been laid
I chose 4/had been laid, because I thought somebody put it (laid) it there before the past action FOUND, so if I express it in a passive pattern, should be had been laid. Am I right?

Answer 1

think so because laying is for something living but the watch was put there.

Answer 2

To be brief, no you are not right. The word you want in the above example is "lay" (the past tense of "lie") because the sentence is not referring to anything that anyone did to the watch, but rather to something the watch was doing. The fact that you found it is irrelevant for purposes of our discussion. Logically, somebody would have laid the watch where you found it; otherwise, how would it have gotten there? However, to say that something "had been laid" for several days suggests that this happened repeatedly. Of the four options presented, "had lain" is the only one that is grammatically correct.

Answer 3

The answer is number 1. The watch had laid there unnoticed ...
Number 4 means that someone had to have laid it there.
You wouldn't say, the watch 'had been laid' because then you would be implying that someone had to have laid the watch and you don't know that ... so without facts it remains at 'had laid'.
I hate these ones, they really mess with your mind don't they? Good Luck :-)

Answer 4

To be short, no you at the instant are not stunning. The be conscious you like in the above occasion is "lay" (the previous demanding of "lie") because of the fact the sentence isn't concerning something that any one did to the watch, yet somewhat to something the watch became into doing. the actuality which you stumbled on it is irrelevant for purposes of our communicate. Logically, somebody could have laid the watch the place you stumbled on it; in any different case, how could it are turning out to be there? although, to assert that something "have been laid" for numerous days ability that this befell many times. Of the 4 concepts provided, "had lain" is the only one that is grammatically suitable.

Answer 5

Number 1 would be best in this sentence. If you took out "before I found it", number 3 would work best, but it would have to be "has been LYING there for unnoticed for several days."
Number 4 does not work at all, unless you change "laid" to "lying".

Answer 6

ok so this can get confusing but:
-lay means to place lie means to recline.
1 is the answer if you look at this and to make it easier put the word "just" between "had" and the chosen tense.

ie: the watch had just laid there unnoticed...
instead of #4 that is:
the watch had just been laid there unnoticed... (doesn't work)
so the answer is #1!


http://www.sparknotes.com/writing/style/topic_114.html

Answer 7

Don't lie to lay and get laid!

Answer 8

You need the pluperfect tense of the verb to lie
present= it lies
imperfect= it was lying
perfect= it lay
pluperfect = it had been lying or it had lain

So your answer is number 2.

But, I do agree, it is so confusing.

Answer 9

I think its THE WATCH had lain THERE UNNOTICED FOR SEVERAL DAYS BRORE I FOUND IT.

but im quite stupid so i woulden't trust it

Answer 10

2/ had lain