Fill in the blank with the correct present perfect continuous tense :
He _____ for five hours.

Question

Fill in the blank with the correct present perfect continuous tense : 
He _____ for five hours.

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is Option 4: **has been sleeping**

Here's why:

*   **Why Option 4 (has been sleeping) is correct:** The present perfect continuous tense is used to describe an action that started in the past and is still continuing in the present, or has just finished. The structure of the present perfect continuous tense is "has/have + been + verb-ing". In this sentence, "He has been sleeping for five hours" indicates that the action of sleeping began five hours ago and is either still ongoing or has just recently stopped. The use of "for five hours" is a key indicator that the present perfect continuous tense is appropriate.

*   **Why Option 1 (been slept) is incorrect:** This option is grammatically incorrect. "Been" requires a helping verb (has/have) before it to form a proper tense. Furthermore, "slept" is the past participle of "sleep," and it doesn't fit the continuous aspect of the sentence, which requires the "-ing" form of the verb.

*   **Why Option 2 (is sleeping) is incorrect:** "Is sleeping" is the present continuous tense. While it describes an action happening now, it doesn't emphasize the duration of the action that started in the past. The phrase "for five hours" strongly suggests a longer duration and a connection to the past, making the present perfect continuous tense more suitable than the present continuous.

*   **Why Option 3 (been sleeping) is incorrect:** This option is grammatically incomplete. It's missing the auxiliary verb "has" or "have" before "been." The subject "He" requires "has" to form a grammatically correct present perfect continuous tense.