PERFECT CONDITIONAL
1. Perfect conditional,
continuous - Form
This tense is composed of two elements: the perfect condtional of the verb
'to be' (would have been) + the present participle (base+ing).
| Subject | would have been | base+ing |
| I We |
would have
been would have been |
sitting swimming |
| Affirmative | ||
| I | would have been | studying. |
| Negative | ||
| You | wouldn't have been | living. |
| Interrogative | ||
| Would | we have been | travelling? |
| Interrogative negative | ||
| Wouldn't | it have been | working? |
Examples: to work, Past continuous conditional
| Affirmative | Negative |
| I would have been working | I wouldn't have been working |
| You would have been working | You wouldn't have been working. |
| He would have been working | She wouldn't have been working |
| We would have been working | We wouldn't have been working |
| You would have been working | You wouldn't have been working |
| They would have been working | They wouldn't have been working |
| Interrogative | Interrogative negative |
| Would I have been working? | Wouldn't I have been working? |
| Would you have been working? | Wouldn't you have been working? |
| Would he have been working? | Wouldn't she have been working? |
| Would we have been working? | Wouldn't we have been working? |
| Would you have been working? | Wouldn't you have been working? |
| Would they have been working? | Wouldn't they have been working? |
2. Function
This tense can be used in Type 3 conditional sentences. It refers to the
unfulfilled result of the action in the if-clause, and expresses this
result as an unfinished or continuous action. Again, there is always an
unspoken "but.." phrase:
Examples:
|
|
|
|
|
|