Question

Choose the most appropriate option to fill in the blank:
'Sorry, I'm late.' 'That's all right. I _____ (not/wait) long.'

a) didn't wait
b) haven't waited
c) haven't been waiting
d) isn't waiting

Answer 1

Hint: Present perfect continuous is (grammar) a tense that expresses an unbroken action continuing at the present time, started in the recent past. In English it is formed by using have been with a present participle.

Complete answer:
In the given question, the action of 'waiting' started in the past and has continued up till now, therefore, we use present continuous tense.
The syntax for present perfect continuous tense-

has / have been + verb (ing)

Let us thus analyze the options given to us in this question:
Option (a.), 'didn’t wait', is in the past tense.
Therefore, option (a.) is incorrect as we need to present continuous tense.

Option (b.), ‘haven’t waited', is in the past perfect tense.
Therefore, option (b.) is incorrect as we need to present continuous tense.

Option (c.), ‘haven’t been waiting', is in the present continuous tense.
 Therefore, option (c.) is correct.

Option (d.), ‘isn’t waiting', is in the present tense.
Therefore, option (d.) is incorrect as we need to present continuous tense.

Note:
In this type of question, students may get confused between option (d.), ‘isn’t waiting' and option (c.), ‘haven’t been waiting'.
Option (d.), ‘isn’t waiting' is in the simple present tense. The simple present tense is a verb tense that expresses actions or states at the time of speaking.