Here is a problem from the Shinkanzen Master N4 Grammar book.
サラ「どうしたの？そのさいふ。」
トム「電車の中に（ ）んだ。駅の人に知らせよう。」
１落ちた
２落ちてきた
３落ちていた
４落ちていった
I reduced the solution to either 1 or 3 and ended up picking 1 落ちた because I thought Tom wanted to say that it fell on the train. But apparently 3 落ちていた is the solution.
Can someone please explain to me why this is the case?
3 comments
[https://www.tofugu.com/japanese-grammar/verb-past-continuous-form-teita](https://www.tofugu.com/japanese-grammar/verb-past-continuous-form-teita)
Is a pretty good explanation of -teita and when to use it. Specifically in this case we are using it because an action happened in the past and that result is continuing in to the present. The wallet was lost and it still is.
❓ It fell on the train. I should let the station people know.
⭕️ It was on the train, fallen. I should let the station people know.
1.”Just dorroped”
It makes sense, but it doesn’t fit the situation.
Tell the drop-off owner, not the station staff.
If it’s not a “wallet” that dropped, but “train parts”, it’s ok.