Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
He _______me for the last few months that he is leaving India very soon.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → has been telling
Present perfect continuous:
- Form: has/have + been + -ing.
- It shows an action that began in the past and is still going on, often with "for" or "since".
- Clue word: "for the last few months". This sentence: "for the last few months" marks a period that runs up to now, and the telling is repeated over that period, so has been telling is correct.
- Complete sentence: He has been telling me for the last few months that he is leaving India very soon.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: told — Incorrect. Told is the simple past, used for a finished action at a fixed past time. It cannot go with "for the last few months" up to now.
Example: He told me the news yesterday.
Option 2: has told — Incorrect. Has told is the present perfect, which presents the telling as one completed act. It does not show an action repeated over a period.
Example: He has told me his decision.
Option 4: had been telling — Incorrect. Had been telling is the past perfect continuous, used for an action going on up to an earlier past moment. The sentence is about the present ("he is leaving").
Example: He had been telling me about the trip before he left.
Contrast: an action repeated over a period up to now takes has been telling. One completed act takes has told.