Learn English – would have been sitting/would have sat

progressive-aspectsubjunctive-mood

  1. I would have been sitting there
    if I hadn't been working.

  2. I would have sat there if I hadn't been working.

Which usage is correct "would have been sitting/would have sat"?

Best Answer

"I would have been sitting there" implies the sitting would have occurred over a period of time; "I would have sat there" implies more the process of sitting down (source: high school English class). "I would have been sitting there when the bell rang" has a very different meaning than "I would have sat there when the bell rang".