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Maverick88 Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
As if
I've got a question... here:
He is looking at me as if I had been his friend
The meaning I suppose is that in fact I've never been his friend.
If so, may the above sentence be paraphrased into:
He is looking at me as if I have been his friend ?
Thanks
He is looking at me as if I had been his friend
The meaning I suppose is that in fact I've never been his friend.
If so, may the above sentence be paraphrased into:
He is looking at me as if I have been his friend ?
Thanks
Top answer
As if I have been is not possible... As if I had been his friend (some time in the past) is OK As if I were his friend (now, but I'm not) is the only alternative, I think, though it doesn't express the same thing.
- As if I have been is not possible...
- As if I had been his friend (some time in the past) is OK As if I were his friend (now, but I'm not) is the only alternative, I think, though it doesn't express the same thing.
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40 Answers
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As if I have been is not possible...
As if I had been his friend (some time in the past) is OK
As if I were his friend (now, but I'm not) is the only alternative, I think, though it doesn't express the same thing.
As if I had been his friend (some time in the past) is OK
As if I were his friend (now, but I'm not) is the only alternative, I think, though it doesn't express the same thing.
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He is looking at me as if I had been his friend
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Actually, before NOW, I've never been his friend.
Isn't that the meaning of the sentence?
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Actually, before NOW, I've never been his friend.
Isn't that the meaning of the sentence?
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Right, therefore it carries 'present prefect' tense sense.
I just don't understand why I can't make it 'as if I HAVE BEEN'...
Why isn't that possible to write a conditional like this:
'If I have ever been...'
I understand that it's an idiotic question but why...
I just don't understand why I can't make it 'as if I HAVE BEEN'...
Why isn't that possible to write a conditional like this:
'If I have ever been...'
I understand that it's an idiotic question but why...
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To me it's NOT conditional, it's subjunctive.
The possible forms are
as if I were
as if I had been
as if I could
as if I should etc
but never "as if" followed by a "present" form
I'm not as cultured as the teachers, M.88, I'm sure they will analyse this soooo much better...
The possible forms are
as if I were
as if I had been
as if I could
as if I should etc
but never "as if" followed by a "present" form
I'm not as cultured as the teachers, M.88, I'm sure they will analyse this soooo much better...
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I think 'If I have ever been...' is a conditional, isn't it? That's what I was talking about, Pieanne.
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No, it's not...
"If I had enough money, I WOULD BUY a Porsche", that's a conditional.
If X then W happens
"If I had enough money, I WOULD BUY a Porsche", that's a conditional.
If X then W happens
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M88, as if DOESN'T express a condition... IF does, but not "as if"; it's a comparison, but a fasle one. You can always imply "(but it's not true)" after it
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Hello Pieanne
I wrote:
You wrote:
I wrote:
I think 'If I have ever been...' is a conditional, isn't it? That's what I was talking about, Pieanne
You wrote:
No, it's not...
"If I had enough money, I WOULD BUY a Porsche", that's a conditional.
M88, as if DOESN'T express a condition... IF does, but not "as if"; it's a comparison, but a fasle one
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No...
If I haD ever been to America... IS a conditional
If I have ever been to ... is NOT a conditional
Sorry I misunderstood what you were implying!
"have been" is never correct after either "if" or "as if"
If I haD ever been to America... IS a conditional
If I have ever been to ... is NOT a conditional
Sorry I misunderstood what you were implying!
"have been" is never correct after either "if" or "as if"
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