Question

Fill in the blank with the appropriate present perfect continuous tense:
We _______________________________ this product since the beginning of the year. (produce)
(A) have been producing
(B) have produced
(C) are producing
(D) produce

Answer 1

Hint: In the question it is clearly given that, to use the present perfect continuous tense. The present perfect continuous tense (also known as the present perfect progressive tense) is used to describe an action that began at some time in the past and is still continuing. It means that the present perfect continuous is the combination of past and present action where the actions in the past have something to do with the present action. If the focus is on the action rather than on the result then it is present perfect continuous and if the focus is on the result then it is present perfect.

Complete answer:
Read the given statement and from there we come to know that we want to find the verb. Now how do we find the appropriate verb for the sentence. For this purpose let us look at each option which could be in the correct tense,
Consider option (A) have been producing: this is correct, as ‘have’ is the auxiliary verb of the present tense, ‘been’ is the past participle of the verb ‘be’ and ‘producing’ is in the form ‘root verb + =ing’, is the present continuous tense of the verb ‘produce’. Here we find the combination of present and past that do something (producing) in the present. It is in the present perfect continuous tense.
Consider option (B) have produced: this is incorrect, because ‘have’ is the auxiliary verb in present tense and ‘produced’ is the past tense of the verb ‘produce’. Here also we can find the combination of present and past but nothing is to do in present. It is in the present perfect tense.
Consider option (C) are producing: this is incorrect as well, ‘are’ is the auxiliary verb of present tense, and ‘producing’ is the present continuous tense of the verb ‘produce’. Here we find that something (producing) is doing in the present. It is in the present continuous tense.
Consider option (D) produce: this is also incorrect, here the verb is simply ‘produce’. Here we cannot find any combination of present and past. It is in the simple present tense.

Therefore the correct answer is option ‘A’.

Note: The construction has/have been + the present participle (root + -ing) is used to form the present perfect continuous. For instance, I've been reading War and Peace for about a month.
The use of the present perfect continuous verb tense in this sentence conveys that reading War and Peace is an activity that began in the past and is not yet completed in the present. Recently and recently are frequently used with verbs in the present perfect continuous tense.