The phrase “for ten years” shows an action that started in the past and is still continuing.
To express an action that began in the past and continues up to the present, we use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense.
Correct structure:
Subject + has/have + been + verb-ing
👉 My mother has been living in this house for ten years.
Why the other options are incorrect:
was living ❌ – Past continuous; does not show continuation up to the present.
had been living ❌ – Past perfect continuous; used when another past action is mentioned.
had lived ❌ – Past perfect; does not emphasize ongoing duration.
