Third conditional with continuous tenses

We've already talked about using the normal third conditional.

• If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam.

And we've talked about using 'might' instead of 'would'.

• If he had taken a taxi, he might have caught the train.

Today, let's talk about using the past perfect continuous instead of the past perfect simple. We use this

to talk about something being in progress at the time of the action after 'would'. It's a bit like using the

past continuous.

• If I had been sleeping, I wouldn't have seen the full moon.

• If they had been working, they would have been in the office.
Let's review! Make sentences with if + past perfect continuous, would + have + past participle.

1. They weren't paying attention and so they didn't hear the teacher.

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2. She wasn't eating and so we stayed.

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3. The children weren't watching TV and so I didn't ask them to stop.

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4. He wasn't swimming and so we didn't see him.

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5. I wasn't trying harder and so I didn't win the race.

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6. She wasn't sitting on the sofa and so she didn't see the cat.

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7. James wasn't listening to the boss and so he didn't understand what to do.

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8. We weren't drinking coffee on the train and so we didn't drop our cups.

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9. He wasn't playing football and so he didn't score a goal.

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10. The students weren't studying and so they didn't need this book.

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Answers

1. If they had been paying attention, they would have heard the teacher.

2. If she had been eating, we wouldn't have stayed.

3. If the children had been watching TV, I would have asked them to stop.

4. If he had been swimming, we would have seen him.

5. If I had been trying harder, I would have won the race.

6. If she had been sitting on the sofa, she would have seen the cat.

7. If James had been listening to the boss, he would have understood what to do.

8. If we had been drinking coffee on the train, we would have dropped our cups.

9. If he had been playing football, he would have scored a goal.

10. If the students had been studying, they would have needed this book.