"would have been carried" vs "would have been carrying"

Question

"would have been carried" vs "would have been carrying"

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Would have been carried' is used to talk about a completed action in the past that was not carried out, while 'would have been carrying' is used to talk about an ongoing action in the past that was not completed.

Last Updated: March 08, 2024

This phrase is used to talk about a completed action in the past that was not carried out. It refers to something that was planned or expected to happen but did not actually happen.

Examples:

If the weather had been better, the furniture would have been carried upstairs.

Alternatives:

would have been brought
would have been transported
would have been conveyed
would have been moved

This phrase is used to talk about an ongoing action in the past that was not completed. It refers to something that was in progress at a specific point in the past but did not continue.

Examples:

If he hadn't fallen, he would have been carrying the box up the stairs.

Alternatives:

would have been holding
would have been supporting
would have been bearing
would have been lugging

Answer 1

would have been carried

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

Answer 2

would have been carrying

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"would have been carried" vs "would have been carrying"

would have been carried

would have been carrying

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