Understanding English Grammar: Present Perfect Continuous Tense

The question asks us to complete the sentence "He _____ daily for a year now" using the appropriate verb form. The key phrase here is "for a year now". This phrase tells us that the action started in the past (a year ago) and has continued up to the present moment. This specific type of action, which began in the past and is still ongoing or has just stopped but its effects are relevant now, is typically expressed using the Present Perfect Continuous tense.

Identifying the Correct Tense for Duration Continuing to Present

When we talk about an action that has been happening for a period of time and is still continuing, we use the Present Perfect Continuous tense. The structure of the Present Perfect Continuous is:

Subject + has/have + been + verb (-ing form)

In the given sentence, the subject is "He". For third-person singular subjects (He, She, It), we use "has". Therefore, the correct form for "He" in the Present Perfect Continuous tense is "He has been + verb(-ing form)". The verb related to "daily" activity is "exercise". The -ing form of "exercise" is "exercising".

Putting it together, the correct verb phrase is "has been exercising". This form correctly expresses that the action of exercising started a year ago and continues daily up to the present moment.

Analyzing the Options for Completing the Sentence

Let's look at the provided options and why they fit or don't fit the sentence and the context of "daily for a year now":

• exercises: This is in the Simple Present tense. The Simple Present is used for habits, routines, or general truths. While exercising daily is a habit, the phrase "for a year now" indicates duration starting in the past and continuing, which the Simple Present doesn't convey effectively. It doesn't show the continuity over that specific period.
• was exercising: This is in the Past Continuous tense. The Past Continuous is used to describe an action that was ongoing at a specific point or period in the past. It does not indicate that the action continues up to the present. "He was exercising daily" would typically refer to a period entirely in the past, not something continuing "for a year now".
• has been exercising: This is in the Present Perfect Continuous tense. As explained above, this tense is used for actions that began in the past and continue into the present or have recently stopped but are relevant now. The phrase "for a year now" perfectly matches the usage of the Present Perfect Continuous tense to show duration. "He has been exercising daily for a year now" means he started exercising a year ago and continues to do it daily up to today. This is the most appropriate tense to complete this sentence.
• have been exercising: This is also in the Present Perfect Continuous tense, but it uses "have been". "Have been" is used with subjects like I, You, We, They, or plural nouns. Since the subject is "He" (third-person singular), the auxiliary verb must be "has", not "have". So, this option is grammatically incorrect for the subject "He".

Based on the analysis of the meaning conveyed by "daily for a year now" and the rules of English grammar regarding verb tense, the correct choice is the Present Perfect Continuous form appropriate for the subject "He". The phrase "daily for a year now" is a strong indicator for using the Present Perfect Continuous tense to show an ongoing action over a period of time ending in the present.

Therefore, to complete the sentence correctly and reflect the meaning of the action happening continuously for a year up to the present, the Present Perfect Continuous tense is required. The correct form for the subject "He" is "has been exercising".