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Nugso Posted 12 years ago
Grammar
As though/As If
Hi everyone. I would like to know if I got the meaning of the following sentences right, please.
She looks as if she is dumbfounded at what she saw(She might be dumbfounded, might be not).
She looks as if she were dumbfounded at what she saw(She isn't dumbfounded).
She looked as if she is dumbfounded(She at one point in the past might have been dumbfounded).
She looked as if she were dumbfounded(Now, I'm not sure).
She looke as if she had been dumbfounded(She had the expression in the past, but wasn't dumbfounded, i.e, that's the past form of the 2nd sentence).
She looks as if she is dumbfounded at what she saw(She might be dumbfounded, might be not).
She looks as if she were dumbfounded at what she saw(She isn't dumbfounded).
She looked as if she is dumbfounded(She at one point in the past might have been dumbfounded).
She looked as if she were dumbfounded(Now, I'm not sure).
She looke as if she had been dumbfounded(She had the expression in the past, but wasn't dumbfounded, i.e, that's the past form of the 2nd sentence).
Top answer
Nugso She looke d as if she had been dumbfounded. Being dumbfounded leaves no identifiable after-effects, so this one makes no sense. You would use that grammatical pattern with something like She looked as if she had been punched in the face.
- Nugso She looke d as if she had been dumbfounded.
- Being dumbfounded leaves no identifiable after-effects, so this one makes no sense.
- You would use that grammatical pattern with something like She looked as if she had been punched in the face.
- Nugso She looks as if she is dumbfounded at what she saw.
- / She looks as if she were dumbfounded at what she saw.
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8 Answers
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NugsoShe looked as if she had been dumbfounded.Being dumbfounded leaves no identifiable after-effects, so this one makes no sense. You would use that grammatical pattern with something like
She looked as if she had been punched in the face.
NugsoShe looks as if she is dumbfounded at
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Thanks, CalifJim!
CalifJimBeing dumbfounded leaves no identifiable after-effects, so this one makes no sense. You would use that grammatical pattern with something likeOh, I knew it makes no sense, but couldn't think of any other example.
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CalifJimBy the way, it is idiomatic to use "like" instead of "as if".It is also worth noting that "like" cannot be used with the subjunctive "were."
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Nugsoboth "she looks as if she has been punched in the face" and "she looks as if she were punched in the face" mean the same thing.Yes, and native speakers are more likely to use the first one in everyday conversation.
NugsoDo both sentence also imply that the speaker doesn't know if she was, but her face gives the impression that she
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ozzourtiIt is also worth noting that "like" cannot be used with the subjunctive "were."Yes, it's exceedingly rare, and I would not recommend it. However, it does happen. This appeared in the publication "USA Today" according to fraze.it:
He was groomed to be a star by his father, who enrolled him in the top golf academies, trained his son lik
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CalifJimYes, it's exceedingly rare, and I would not recommend it. However, it does happen. This appeared in the publication "USA Today" according to fraze.it:Yes, I agree that it is extremely uncommon.
There is only one relevant quotation on fraze.it for "like he were" ... I think it would be safe to ignore it.
On the other hand, ther
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ozzourti I don't have the time to go through all of themOh, come on! Humor us. It's only 1570 results.
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