Correct tense: This issue has been debated for nearly a decade.

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

which is correct- a situation that continuous for years:

This issue has been debated for nearly a decade.
This issue has being debated for a decade.
This issue is debating for a decade.

any grammatical error and what are the difference?

Thanks a lot.

soppa

2
3

thanks Cerberus.

can it be then for the third sentence?

This issue is being debated for a decade.

4

Yes, but it’d still be quite odd. If it “is being debated for a decade” (present continuous), the debating must still be happening right now; and we must still be within this decade, that is, the decade is not over yet. That means we know it is debated for a decade, even though the decade has not yet passed. How do we know the debate will not end after, say, 9 years? Very odd.

You probably mean: the debate started in 1999 (or before), it is still going on, so that a decade (or more) has passed while it was being debated all the time. To say this, the very best option is “the issue has been debated for a decade”, which was your original first sentence. The present perfect “has been” indicates that the debate is still going on right now. (You would use the past simple “was debated for a decade” if it had ended some time ago.)

5

great. Thanks again.

6

Hi,
As mentioned above, the only correct variant is “This issue has been debated for nearly a decade”. The action started in the past and is still happening now. Usually Present Perfect Continuous (Progressive) is used in such circumstances with the verbs in Active Voice.
EX: I have been reading this book for a week.

However, there is no Present/Past Perfect Continuous form for verbs used in Passive voice-Present/Past Perfect forms are used instead. That is why your second sentence (This issue has being debated for a decade) is incorrect.

Present Continuous (Progressive) means that the action is in progress now, at the moment. So, the third sentence (This issue is debating for a decade) is incorrect. Plus any issue cannot debate itself, so at least it should be in the passive voice. The issue is(being)debated now.

7

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8

Interesting to know that some English grammars are still under debate.

9

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