How grammatically stupid I am

[Rob Wick]

Is this sentence grammatically correct?

Having the ability to look at her papers at my leisure, the realization struck that herein lay the workings of another study.

Should it be lay or lie? Isn't "workings" a direct object?

Writing would be much more fun if grammar didn't get in the way.

Best
Rob

[Gene C]

I thought "here in" was two words. At least it is "here in" KY.

Which reminds me, I still get heroin and heroine mixed up

[LincolnMan]

Funny, I was wondering about the word "herein"- thinking it should be "therein?" Not to make matters worse!

[Gene C]

Depending on who your intended readers are, "herein" or "therein lays", should be replaced by "it be"

"Havin the ability to look at her papers at my leisure, the realization struck me that it be the workins of another study"

Glad to help!

[LincolnMan]

Gene- you're too much!

[Eva Elisabeth]

No help or advice (!!!) - just curious and willing to improve my own skills: Isn't "workings" the subject of the subordinate clause ("therein lie the workings of another study") and "another study" the (genitive??) object? If it's an analysis, won't present tense be correct ? And they still lie therein, don't they? It's still valid, isn't it?

[My Name Is Kate]

I think "lies" is in reference to "having the ability to look at her papers at my leisure", so my guess is that it should be singular (lies), since "ability" is singular.

[Eva Elisabeth]

Kate, I just realized the same! (My first thought was "therein" refered to "the papers".) Also, the other part of the sentence is the subordinate clause...

[Gene C]

Nice to know you two ladies agree with me.

[L Verge]

First, I think this is a cumbersome sentence to begin with; but I started dissecting it to its root sentence - "The workings of another study ___ herein" (a sentence which stands alone). To use "lay" would require a direct object, and I don't think there is one. Therefore, I vote for "lie."

And if anyone else can lay out better rules, I will lie and swear that's what I said the first time.

Hopefully, we are not being graded on this...

[Eva Elisabeth]

Since I've already made a complete fool of myself by mistaking the main clause for the subordinate clause, one more time does not matter...I'm still thinking about the tense. If "herein" refered to "the ability..." and not to "her papers", and Rob made use of this ability and finished his workings - wouldn't "lay" indeed be correct then?

[Gene C]

...I'm still thinking about the tense.

Trying to figure out what you all are talking about has made me tense.
But then, grammar and spelling never was one of my gooder subjects

[brtmchl]

Is this thread in English?

Knowing that I can look at her papers at a later date, I decided to take a nap.

I now realize that everyone here is smarter than I am. I should have paid more attention in class.

The title for MY thread would have read,"How grammatically stupid I are."
God bless editors!

[L Verge]

I think you would be correct with "lay" because it is now a verb and has a direct object - "workings." And by the time we figure this out, Rob should have finished his Tarbell book...

[Eva Elisabeth]

Isn't "workings" the subject? "The workings lay therein."