Identify the tense of the underlined verb in the sentence:
Mrs D’Souza has been the principal of our school for six years.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Present perfect tense
Present perfect tense:
- Its form is has / have + past participle (V3).
- It shows a state that began in the past and is still true.
- Here “been” is the V3 of “be”, and it is the main verb.
- No -ing word follows it.
- “For six years” shows she is still the principal.
- Example: Ravi has been ill since Tuesday.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Present perfect continuous tense — Incorrect.
- The present perfect continuous is has / have been + V-ing.
- Here “has been” is not followed by any -ing word.
- Example: Mrs D’Souza has been teaching Maths since 2015.
Option 3: Past perfect tense — Incorrect.
- The past perfect is had + V3.
- The underlined verb begins with “has”, not “had”.
- Example: The guests had been at the party for an hour before the lights went out.
Option 4: Simple present tense — Incorrect.
- The simple present of “be” is am / is / are.
- The underlined verb has “has” with the V3 “been”.
- Example: Mrs D’Souza is our principal.