As if…

Question

Dear Everyone,

I saw different examples for such a contstruction and I’m puzzled; which ending is correct from the below?

He took an effective painkiller, and so he could continue his day as if all his health problems

a) had gone away.

b) would have gone away.

c) went away.

(In my Practical English Usage by Swan, it’s said that for a ’’past unreal comparison’’, it should be ’’went away’’. However, I saw several counterexamples on the Internet, hence my question.)

Thank you…

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

What page of Swan? In my (old) edition, 74.2: 'We can use a past tense for a present meaning after 'as if/though'.
'Went' is present unreal comparison: You look as if you didn't like my soup.

Anonymous · Answer

Mine is the 2001 impression of the 1996 edition, and says under 74.2, “we do not use a past perfect for a past unreal comparison”,

the example being,

“He talked as if he was rich, but he wasn’t”. (Not “as if he had been rich”)

Thank you for your intention to help me. I'm perplexed because based on this entry, I think I should put "went away" in my original example, while I could swear that I saw several cases where past perfect was used in such a construction.

Mister Micawber · Answer

AnonymousHe talked as if he was rich, but he wasn’t”.

This speaks of 2 pasts which occur at the same time: talking and being/not being rich are contemporaneous. However, in your original—He took an effective painkiller, and so he could continue his day as if all his health problems had gone away—The departure of the pain presumably happened before he continued the day: that is why past perfect; it is not a direct function of the 'as if' structure.

Nagariya · Answer

We say
1.He acts as if he knows the answer this means he indeed knows the answer.
2.He acts as if he knew the answer this means he doesn't know the answer.
Now.
Which one is correct.
1.He acted as if he knew the answer.
or
2.He acted as if he had known the answer.
Does "He acted as if he knew the answer" mean that he indeed knew the answer?
and
Does "He acted as if he had known the answer" mean that he didn't know the answer?
When we say
1.He is acting as if he has hurt himself then it means that he has hurt himself for real.
2..He is acting as if he had hurt himself then it means he hasn't hurt himself.
Now,
How do I use these two in past tense ?
He was acting as if he had hurt himself.Does this mean he had not hurt himself?
He was actin gas if he hurt himself.Does this mean he really hurt himself?
Are all my interpretations right?
If not please help me.
Thank you.

Mister Micawber · Answer

nagariya1.He acts as if he knows the answer this means he indeed knows the answer.

No, that is not true. The sentences do not reveal the truth of his knowing or hurting himself; they only speak to probabilities.

Nagariya · Answer

Okay thank you very much.I have got it.
But are my interpretations about past tense correct?

Fivejedjon · Answer

nagariya1.He acts as if he knows the answer this means he indeed knows the answer.

Not necessarily. The 'as if' removes the certainty.

nagariya2.He acts as if he knew the answer this means he doesn't know the answer.Now.

Not necessarily.

nagariyaWhich one is correct.1.He acted as if he knew the answer.or2.He acted as if he had known the answer.Does "He acted as if he knew the answer" mean that he indeed knew the answer?and

#1 means that, at the time spoken of, he gave the impression that he knew the answer. Only context can tell us whether he did in fact know it.
#2 means that, at the time spoken of, he gave the impression that he had acquired the knowledge of the answer previously. Once again, only context can tell us the true facts.

I'll stop there.

Sica · Answer

I think: In short, the "as if" indicates the subjective surmise of speaker. And the tense used is dependent on the context.

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you very much, Mister Micawber!!

Thanks, Fivejedjon, to you, too.

As if…

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