0
Lcchang Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
as if
He spoke last night as if he were a politician.
He spoke last night as if had been a politician.
May I ask if the two sentences sound all right?
He spoke last night as if had been a politician.
May I ask if the two sentences sound all right?
Top answer
Lcchang May I ask if the two sentences sound all right? They are fine, but I see no reason to use 'had been' unless there is something else in the context to warrant it. CJ
- Lcchang May I ask if the two sentences sound all right?
- They are fine, but I see no reason to use 'had been' unless there is something else in the context to warrant it.
- CJ
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
3 Answers
0
LcchangMay I ask if the two sentences sound all right?They are fine, but I see no reason to use 'had been' unless there is something else in the context to warrant it.
CJ
00
May I presume that the first sentence correlates with "real statement in the past" but the second "unreal statement in the past"?
There are a few sample sentences in my grammar book such as "It was as if my legs had been stuck on the floor". The more I have read, the more confused I feel about using "as if" with unreal statements. Should I use past tense or past perfect?
There are a few sample sentences in my grammar book such as "It was as if my legs had been stuck on the floor". The more I have read, the more confused I feel about using "as if" with unreal statements. Should I use past tense or past perfect?
00
LcchangMay I presume that the first sentence correlates with "real statement in the past" but the second "unreal statement in the past"?No. The first is unreal in the present; the second is unreal in the past.
LcchangThe more I have read, the more confused I feel about using "as if" with unreal statements. Should I use past tense or p
0
Related Questions