Highlight the correct one of the two verbs given in the brackets below.
My English is really getting better. I (have been trying/tried) to learn the language since 1985, but only recently have I been able to make some real progress. By the time I started high school in 1988, I (was studying/ had studied) the language for almost three years; however, I was only able to introduce myself and utter a few memorized sentences. For a couple more years, I (struggle/ struggled) through grammar and vocabulary lessons, which made absolutely no difference. Nothing worked, so I decided to study abroad.
I found an exchange program in England that sounded like the perfect answer. I (will stay/ stayed) with a host family for one month. It was a huge disappointment! I didn’t learn anything.
Then I moved to the United States. It worked! I (have been living/will have lived) in the U.S. for more than two years. I have improved a lot already and plan to stay here for longer.