We investigate the transient gain-absorption properties of the probe field in an n-doped three-level semiconductor quantum well system. It is shown that the coupling field and the pumping field affect the optical behavior dramatically, which can be used to manipulate the gain-absorption coefficient. The dependence of the gain-absorption properties on the relative phase is also discussed. Our study is much more practical than its atomic counterpart due to its flexible design and the wide adjustable parameters. Thus, it may provide some new possibilities for technological applications.