grammar · academic
would + have + been + V-ing
Conditional perfect continuous: describes an action that would have been ongoing at a past point if a past condition had been different.
Examples
“If she had accepted the contract, she would have been working abroad for five years by 2019.”
“If you had warned me, I would have been helping you with the move all afternoon.”
“They would have been living in the city for a decade if they hadn't moved last year.”
Band 8 sentence
“Had the funding not been withdrawn, the team would have been conducting longitudinal interviews for several years, which would strengthen the study's validity.”
Collocations
- if + past perfect
- by + past time
- for + duration
Common mistakes
If she had taken the job, she would live in Tokyo for nine years by 2019.→If she had taken the job, she would have been living in Tokyo for nine years by 2019.
I would have been helped you if you had asked.→I would have been helping you if you had asked.
Say it for a higher band
5would + V→6would have + past participle→7+would + have + been + V-ing
Synonyms
would have been doing
Easily confused
would have + past participle
“If I had known, I would have cancelled the meeting.”
Related words
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In Tenses
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