Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word-
He ______ ill for a long time.
a) Has had
b) Has been
c) Is
d) Were

Answer 1

Hint: Read the given phrase/sentence carefully. Try to make out the meaning of it and find the subject or the predicate or the main object of the sentence.

Complete answer:
The given sentence conveys that someone fell ill for a long time. We have to fill in the blank with the correct tense form. Tenses are of three types – present, past, and future.
Now, let us examine all the given options to find out the correct option -
Option ‘a’ is Has had. It cannot be the correct answer as we cannot use it before ‘ill’ in this particular sentence. So, we will eliminate this option.
Option ‘b' is correct. 'has been' is in the present perfect tense. It indicates that the action began a long time ago and is still ongoing. It indicates that the subject fell ill a long time ago and is still ill. Thus, it is the correct answer.
Option ‘c’ is incorrect. 'is' in the simple present tense. 'is ill' indicates that the subject became ill in the present and not a long time ago. Thus, it cannot be the answer.
Option ‘d’ is incorrect. 'were' cannot be the answer as it can only be used for a plural subject. Also, it simply indicates that the subject became ill a long time ago but does not support the fact that he is still ill. Hence, option ‘b’ is the correct option.

Note:
The phrase ‘for a long time’ indicates that the action began a long time ago and is still going on. Thus, the answer must indicate that.