Take a look at the sentence again:
Rachel __________ the telephone receiver on the table and returned to the
sci-fi novel she had left on the couch. The poor solicitor at the other
end read five more minutes of spiel before realizing that no one was listening.
Rachel put the telephone receiver on the table. Thus, you need a form of lay. Since the sentence is past tense, you need the simple past form. Consult the table below or review the rules.
| Infinitive | Definition | Simple Present | Simple Past | Past Participle | Present Participle |
| to lay | to put something down | lay(s) | laid | laid | laying |
| to lie | to rest or recline | lie(s) | lay | lain | lying |