Improve the following sentence by choosing the most appropriate alternative. If no improvement is needed, select the option corresponding to “No improvement”. Sentence: I am living in Bombay for the last ten years.

Introduction / Context:
This sentence improvement question tests your understanding of the correct tense for actions that started in the past and continue up to the present. The original sentence “I am living in Bombay for the last ten years” is incorrect because it uses the present continuous tense “am living” with a time expression that clearly indicates a long duration until now. You must choose the correct tense form to express this ongoing action.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Original sentence: “I am living in Bombay for the last ten years.”
• The phrase “for the last ten years” indicates that the action started ten years ago and continues to the present.
• The appropriate tense for such actions in English is the present perfect continuous: “have been living”.
• The speaker is describing a situation that is still true now.

Concept / Approach:
The grammar rule is:

• Use present perfect continuous (have been + ing form) to describe an action that started in the past and is still continuing up to now, especially when you use expressions like “for five years”, “since 2010”, “for the last ten years”.

Therefore, “am living” must be changed to “have been living” to match the time expression.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the time frame. The phrase “for the last ten years” clearly refers to a period starting in the past and continuing until now. Step 2: Choose the correct tense pattern. For such continuous actions, we use the present perfect continuous: “I have been living…”. Step 3: Replace “am living” with “have been living” while keeping the rest of the sentence unchanged. Step 4: The improved sentence is “I have been living in Bombay for the last ten years.”

Verification / Alternative check:
Read the improved sentence: “I have been living in Bombay for the last ten years.” It clearly communicates that the action began ten years ago and continues to the present moment. This is exactly how native speakers would express this idea. The form is also consistent with other similar sentences such as “I have been working here for three years” and “She has been studying English since 2015.”

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: “I had lived in Bombay for the last ten years.” uses the past perfect tense, which is used for actions completed before another point in the past. It does not fit here because the action is still continuing in the present.
Option C: “I lived in Bombay for the last ten years.” uses simple past tense, which suggests that the period has ended. It is more suitable if the speaker no longer lives in Bombay. But the phrase “for the last ten years” usually implies up to now, so simple past is not appropriate.
Option D: “No improvement” would leave the grammatically incorrect “am living” unchanged, so it is not correct.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners often overuse the present continuous tense with time expressions like “for five years” because they focus on the ongoing nature of the action and forget that English uses present perfect continuous for this purpose. A simple way to avoid this error is to remember that if you mention the length of time up to now (“for ten years”, “since 2010”), you should almost always use “have been + ing” for actions that are still not finished.

Final Answer:
The improved sentence is I have been living in Bombay for the last ten years.