...as if she is hit by a truck

Question

Dear teachers.I was told that:She looks as if she is completely stunned is a correct sentence.However:She looks as if she is hit by a truck is incorrect. I was told that it is because "HIT" isn't a state. What you opinion. Do you agree with my teacher or not. Any thoughts are welcome.Thank you for your time!

Teechr · Accepted Answer

I agree with your teacher.
You can say: She looks as if she got hit by a truck.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Present tense is not ok, but other tenses are fine.

She looks as if she has been hit by a truck.

CalifJim · Answer

Dominik6She looks as if she is hit by a truck is incorrect. I was told that it is because "HIT" isn't a state.

That's about it. You can't explain it any more succinctly than that.

The simple present passive of a non-stative verb is not necessarily going to sound right unless you add something that expresses regularity.

She looks as if she is hit by a truck every morning. (Still an odd thing to say, but possible.)
This shop is opened at 8 o'clock every day.
Where I live garbage is collected on Wednesdays.

CJ

Dominik6 · Answer

She looks as if she were hit by a truck - this would be correct as well?

If so, how is possible that ' is hit' is not correct. Where is the difference?

Thank you!

CalifJim · Answer

Dominik6She looks as if she were hit by a truck - this would be correct as well?

It would. Also "was hit". Also "has been hit".

Dominik6If so, how is possible that ' is hit' is not correct. Where is the difference?

The difference, as you yourself can see, is "were" in one sentence and "is" in the other.

The simple present indicates habitual activity. Tom plays chess. Joe eats oysters. So what is the reader to make of Fred is thrown in the lake? It must be that some person or group of persons regularly throws Fred into the lake, maybe every day, maybe a few times a week. Who knows?

So what does "She is hit by a truck" mean? Think about that for a moment, and you'll see that this happens to her more than once these days, on a regular basis. I don't think that can be the intent of the sentence. Being hit by a truck is not the sort of thing that we easily believe to be a habit.

CJ

Fivejedjon · Answer

Dominik6She looks as if she were hit by a truck - this would be correct as well?

It doesn't work for me.

Dominik6 · Answer

CalifJim Being hit by a truck is not the sort of thing that we easily believe to be a habit.

It is not about a habit, isn' t it? If I say: She looks as if she is completely stunned = state = she is stunned

-She looks as if she is hit by a truck - she is hit by a truck...maybe sho looks tired , doesn't feel good..She might well was hit

- She looks as if she were hit by a truck - unreal (as if + were) very similar to the sentence above - just the unreal meaning was added

CalifJim · Answer

Dominik6She looks as if she is completely stunned = state = she is stunned

Right. It works with a state, but not with an action unless the action is a believable habit or its past participle has a stative interpretation. The following don't work either unless you add clarifying information:

She looks [like / as if] ...
... she is thrown against the wall.
... she is pushed off a cliff.
... she is kissed.
... she is struck with a hammer.

But you can say:

She looks [like / as if] ...
... she is injured.
... she is burned.
... she is hurt.
... she is cured.

Dominik6- She looks as if she were hit by a truck - unreal (as if + were) very similar to the sentence above - just the unreal meaning was added

It may seem mysterious to you, but "looks [like / as if] ... is hit by ..." doesn't work.

CJ

Fivejedjon · Answer

CalifJim Dominik6: It may seem mysterious to you, but "looks like ... is hit by ..." doesn't work.CJ

Does "It looks like she were hit by a truck" work for you, CJ?

CalifJim · Answer

fivejedjonDoes "It looks like she were hit by a truck" work for you, CJ?

No, but mirabile dictu, It looks as if she were hit by a truck does work for me.

CJ

...as if she is hit by a truck

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