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Marold Posted 12 years ago
Grammar

As if + present simple/past simple

As if + present simple/past simple

I still cannot spot the difference between the use of the present simple or past simple tense after the words: "as if".

Could anyone provide me with some sentences?

Thanks in advance.
  

Top answer

Marold some sentences "as if" is all over the place with regard to tenses. Just about any tense can be found after "as if". This is in distinct contrast to "if" alone, where there are all those formulas for conditional sentences.

— CalifJim

  • Marold some sentences "as if" is all over the place with regard to tenses.
  • Just about any tense can be found after "as if".
  • This is in distinct contrast to "if" alone, where there are all those formulas for conditional sentences.
  • There is, of course, pure tense matching: George speaks about it as if he knows a lot about it.
  • George spoke about it as if he knew a lot about it.
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4 Answers
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Maroldsome sentences
"as if" is all over the place with regard to tenses. Just about any tense can be found after "as if". This is in distinct contrast to "if" alone, where there are all those formulas for conditional sentences.

There is, of course, pure tense matching:

George speaks about it as if he knows a lot about it.
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CalifJimBut are you thinking about something else?
That is exactly what I am thinking about. Thanks.
CalifJimBut are you thinking about something else?
If you can still recall our yesterday's conversation, I asked you about your view of "have sth. in mind". Could this be the case as well? => If I paraphrased your question
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Maroldhave sth. in mind
Here's the paraphrase of my question (But are you thinking about something else?), using the idiom "in mind":

But do you have something else in mind?
Or,
But maybe you had something else in mind?

CJ
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At the moment of writing the sentence, I simply could not work it out how I could incorporate "something else" into the paraphrase. It did not cross my mind.
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