might have been doing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "might have been doing" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express a possibility or speculation about an action that was ongoing in the past. Example: "At that time, she might have been doing her homework instead of watching TV."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

In other words, he might have been doing Trump a favor.

The Washington Post

We say, "Imagine what they might have been doing here 100 years ago".

The New York Times - Travel

(Even if they aren't intentionally blurring that line, as it's safe to assume Mr. Trump might have been doing).

Independent

Cowboys defensive end Stephen Bowen said Choice's mistake might have been doing it "in the public eye like that".

The New York Times - Sports

Whatever UConn might have been doing through a former student manager is another more potentially damning issue.

The New York Times - Sports

"IndiGo so far might have been doing better than the others, but they are facing the same operational costs, the same infrastructure constraints," Mr. Mehra said.

The New York Times

We seem not to have caught Stegner at his best: he was most uninterested in anything we might have been doing.

The New Yorker

If so, the next question would be whether he might have been doing so from the beginning, or could have been recruited — or coerced — more recently.

The New York Times

Sumerian tribes were smoking fish on a decent scale by 3500BC, and Alan Davidson believed the Chinese might have been doing so concurrently.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"I think I might have been doing too much work, overworking it instead of giving it too much time to rest," Franco said.

The New York Times - Sports

He ran off to celebrate with Alessandro Schoenmaker, the fitness coach, which suggested that he might have been doing some extra work with him.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "might have been doing" to express speculation or uncertainty about an action that was in progress in the past. It's suitable when you don't have definitive information but want to suggest a possibility.

Common error

Avoid using "might have did" instead of "might have done". The correct past participle form of 'do' is 'done', not 'did'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "might have been doing" functions as a modal verb phrase indicating possibility or speculation about an action in progress in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. For instance, "he might have been doing nasty things in Soho" suggests a possible, but not confirmed, past action.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

98%

Formal & Business

1%

Wiki

1%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "might have been doing" is a common and grammatically correct modal verb phrase used to express possibility or speculation about an action that was ongoing in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its validity. It is most frequently found in News & Media contexts, indicating its widespread use in journalistic and general communication. While versatile, it's essential to use the correct tense and avoid common errors. Consider alternatives like "could have been doing" or "may have been doing" to fine-tune the nuance. The phrase’s neutral register makes it suitable for various settings, though more formal contexts might benefit from more precise language. Remember that it implies uncertainty, unlike phrases suggesting higher certainty.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

could have been doing

Replaces "might" with "could", indicating a similar level of possibility.

may have been doing

Substitutes "might" with "may", conveying the same sense of possibility.

possibly was doing

Replaces the modal construction with an adverb, indicating possibility directly.

potentially was doing

Similar to "possibly was doing", but emphasizes the potential nature of the action.

conceivably was doing

Indicates the action was within the realm of possibility.

it's possible they were doing

Breaks down the phrase into a simpler sentence structure with "possible".

it's conceivable they were doing

Similar to the previous alternative but it uses "conceivable".

one possibility is they were doing

Focuses on presenting the action as one potential scenario.

perhaps they were engaged in

Uses "perhaps" to indicate possibility and rephrases "doing" with "engaged in".

presumably was in the process of

Suggests a reasonable assumption about an ongoing action.

FAQs

How can I use "might have been doing" in a sentence?

Use "might have been doing" to express a possibility or speculation about an action that was ongoing in the past. For example, "At that time, she "might have been doing" her homework instead of watching TV."

What are some alternatives to "might have been doing"?

You can use alternatives like "could have been doing" or "may have been doing" depending on the context, to express similar levels of possibility.

Is "might have been doing" grammatically correct?

Yes, ""might have been doing"" is grammatically correct. It follows the structure of a modal verb (might) + have + been + present participle (doing) to express a past continuous action that was possible but not certain.

What's the difference between "might have been doing" and "was probably doing"?

"Might have been doing" indicates a possibility, while "was probably doing" suggests a higher degree of certainty or likelihood. The former conveys more uncertainty than the latter.