Yesterday I _______ in my room worrying about today's performance.

• A. lie
• B. laid
• C. layed
• D. lay

Answer: (D)

The key idea is choosing the correct past tense of the verb “lie” when it means to recline. Since “Yesterday” sets the time in the past and the subject is performing the action herself, you need the simple past form of “lie” (to recline), which is lay. So the sentence reads: “Yesterday I lay in my room worrying about today’s performance.”

Why this form fits: lie (recline) changes in the past to lay, not lay (present) or laid (which is the past tense of lay meaning to place something). “Lain” is the past participle (as in I have lain awake). So lay is the correct past-tense choice here.