Pasting a file while using the column view

Hello all:
am using Column view in finder.
but if i have a folder that contains subfolders, how can i paste a file in my parent one?
for instance, if i have a parent folder named 1, and i have sub folders 2, 3 and 4.
need to paste a file called Unnamed in the parent 1 folder, how can i do this?
when i paste the file it goes inside a sub folder.
hope that my question is clear.
Thanks in advance