Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option.
Ever since the doctor’s warning last month, my father ______ me to cut down on fried food.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → has been telling
Present perfect continuous tense:
- We use has/have been + verb-ing for an action that began in the past. The action is still going on now.
- The father started telling him after the doctor's warning last month. He keeps telling him even now. So the verb is has been telling.
- Clue word: "Ever since" means from that time until now. It calls for a perfect tense.
- Complete sentence: Ever since the doctor's warning last month, my father has been telling me to cut down on fried food.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: tells — Incorrect. "Tells" is the simple present. It shows a habit, but it does not link a past starting point with now. So it does not go with "ever since". Example: My father tells me a story every night.
Option 3: had told — Incorrect. "Had told" is the past perfect. It is used for an action finished before another past action. Here the action is still going on now. Example: Mother had told me to carry an umbrella, but I forgot.
Option 4: was telling — Incorrect. "Was telling" is the past continuous. It shows an action going on at one time in the past. It does not reach up to now. Example: Grandpa was telling a joke when the lights went out.