Form
In type 3 conditional sentences, the perfect form of the present conditional may be used.
| If clause (condition) | Main clause (result) |
|---|---|
| If + past perfect | perfect continuous conditional |
| If this thing had happened | that thing would have been happening. |
Function
The perfect continuous conditional 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.
Examples
- If the weather had been better (but it wasn't), I'd have been sitting in the garden when he arrived (but I wasn't).
- If she hadn't got a job in London (but she did), she would have been working in Paris (but she wasn't).
- If I had had a ball I would have been playing football.
- If I had known it was dangerous I wouldn't have been climbing that cliff.
The perfect continuous conditional tense
The perfect continuous conditional tense of any verb is composed of four elements:
would + have + been + present participle
The present participle is formed by taking the base form of the verb and adding the -ing ending.
| Subject | + would | + have | + been | + present participle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| He | would | have | been | staying |
| They | would | have | been | going |
To work: perfect continuous conditional
| Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative | Interrogative negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| I would have been living | I wouldn't have been living | Would I have been living? | Wouldn't I have been living? |
| You would have been living | You wouldn't have been living | Would you have been living? | Wouldn't you have been living? |
| He would have been living | He wouldn't have been living | Would he have been living? | Wouldn't he have been living? |
| She would have been living | She wouldn't have been living | Would she have been living? | Wouldn't she have been living? |
| We would have been living | We wouldn't have been living | Would we have been living? | Wouldn't we have been living? |
| They would have been living | They wouldn't have been living | Would they have been living? | Wouldn't they have been living? |