Find the part of the sentence that contains an error:
He has been working (1) / as a poet (2) / since five years (3) / in the village (4).
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Correct Answer
since five years (3)
Explanation
The question tests the correct application of the time prepositions "since" and "for" within perfect continuous tenses.
The rule states that "for" must be used when referring to a total period of time (a duration or length of time, such as minutes, months, or years). Conversely, "since" is used strictly to pinpoint a specific point of time in the past when the action first began (such as a specific calendar year, day of the week, or starting event).
Because "five years" represents a numerical duration (a period of time), the use of "since" is grammatically incorrect. The sentence should correctly read: "He has been working as a poet for five years in the village." Therefore, part 3 contains the error, making Option 3 the correct choice.
The other parts are grammatically sound:
"He has been working" correctly uses the Present Perfect Continuous tense (has + been + V-ing) to show an action started in the past and continues in the present.
"as a poet" and "in the village" use appropriate prepositional and structural phrasings.
Key Points
This time-preposition error is highly repeated in competitive exams. Use this simple mental checklist for quick selection:
FOR + Duration / Total Time: for 5 years, for 3 hours, for 2 decades.
SINCE + Starting Point: since 2021, since Monday, since childhood.