在和now连用时，谓语动词时态多为完成时（过去或现在完成（进行）时）。 如果没有now, 谓语动词时态，除了和for nearly a decade now 一样可以用于现在或过去完成（进行）时外，还可以用一般过去式。有now时，因前面有一段时间，一般很少用于一般过去式。now的含义可以指现在，也可以指当时。

请参考体会下面的例句：

for nearly a decade now：

1. For nearly a decade now, I've had an e-mail correspondence with Terrence May, who lives in Colorado. （现在完成）

2. Matthew had been in the United States for nearly a decade now, thanks to his work as a music critic for the leading music magazine in the world. （过去完成）

for nearly a decade:

3.But, for nearly a decade, the Americans went on to fight a conventional war in unconventional terrain.（一般过去）

4.Neoliberalism has stumbled on in zombie form for nearly a decade.（现在完成）

5.For nearly a decade Baileyism had divided the Democratic Party into Bailey and anti-Bailey factions. （过去完成）

因原理理相同，完成进行时例句省略。