Learn English – Is this grammatically correct: “It has happened for a while now.”

grammargrammaticalityperfect-aspectpresent-perfecttenses

If not, why? I think it sounds awkward but I cannot be sure it's incorrect.

Best Answer

It's wrong because has happened, as the perfect tense, indicates an action that is momentary, or at least completed; whereas for a while now indicates something continuing and requires the imperfect tense. So It happened a while ago or It has been happening for a while now, but not ?It has happened for a while now.

(Many native speakers would not even notice the error, but that's no reason to accept it, any more than the fact that many people wouldn't notice if they were short-changed in a shop is a reason to accept it when it happens to you.)

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