How to use "as though"

Question

Hi,I have some difficulty explaining the usage of "as though" to my students. Would you help me with that? Here is the text for your reference.At last, Tony had a date with Rosalee. It seemed to have taken him forever to accumulate enought courage to ask her out. So far as he was concerned, she was no doubt the most charming girl in school. She accepted his invitation so quickly and easily as though he permission to sit down beside her in the classroom that he was overwhelmed with joy.a) is asking b) were asking c) was asked d) had been askingAnd the answer is b).Then one of my students asked me if he could use "had asked" to show the opposite the past truth. What do you think? Would he use that as another possible answer. Thanks in advance. Take care,Gloria

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[nq:1]Hi, I have some difficulty explaining the usage of "as though" to my students. Would you help me with that? ... the past truth. What do you think? Would he use that as another possible answer. Thanks in advance. Take care,[/nq]
My mind filled in "was asking" because of the context. "Were" would work. "Had asked" would work. Someone will be along to provide some grammatical rule, but - idiomatically - any of these three would work.

The whole sentence, though, is odd. That "that he was overwhelmed with joy" bit works if you think about it, but it doesn't flow.

Tony Cooper
Orlando, FL

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[nq:1]Hi, I have some difficulty explaining the usage of "as though" to my students. Would you help me with that? ... the past truth. What do you think? Would he use that as another possible answer. Thanks in advance. Take care,[/nq]
"Had asked" would work. In this case, "as though" indicates a condition contrary to past truth. What he had asked was not whether he could sit by her, it was whether she would go out with him.

The tricky part of "as though" is that it can indicate a condition opposite to truth in any tense, not just past. Present: "I'm treating him as though he is trustworthy. I'm stupid that way." Or future: "I will continue to drive as though my car was in good shape."

Incidentally, I would not write "accepted his invitation quickly and easily..."; I'd use "accepted his invitation quickly and easily...". I can't tell you why, though, but is clunky there.

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[nq:2]Hi, I have some difficulty explaining the usage of "as ... that as another possible answer. Thanks in advance. Take care,[/nq]
[nq:1]"Had asked" would work. In this case, "as though" indicates a condition contrary to past truth. What he had asked ... is clunky there. Posted via a free Usenet account fromhttp://www.teranews.com- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text -[/nq]
Well actually the whole sentence is clunky to the point of nonsense. At the very least it needs some punctuation! And the adverb 'easily' surely applies to the asker not the asked. She accepted so quickly that it was easier than expected and he was joyous, n'est-ce pas?

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On 23 Mar 2007 03:37:59 -0700, "Flying Tortoise"
[nq:2]"Had asked" would work. In this case, "as though" indicates ... fromhttp://www.teranews.com- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text -[/nq]
[nq:1]Well actually the whole sentence is clunky to the point of nonsense. At the very least it needs some punctuation! ... asker not the asked. She accepted so quickly that it was easier than expected and he was joyous, n'est-ce pas?[/nq]
The "easily" I don't have a problem with. she accepted easily; with no need to think it over, with no apparent (emotional or mental) effort.

But yes, the whole sentence is grammar-book-exercise clunky. It's written not to communicate, but to set up the problem.

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[nq:2]Hi, I have some difficulty explaining the usage of "as ... that as another possible answer. Thanks in advance. Take care,[/nq]
[nq:1]"Had asked" would work. In this case, "as though" indicates a condition contrary to past truth. What he had asked ... truth in any tense, not just past. Present: "I'm treating him as though he is trustworthy. I'm stupid that way."[/nq]
The "as though" can be used in two ways. One is the more common contrary to the truth. This usage requires a subjunctive verb form, as
in "I'm treating him as though he were trustworthy. I'm stupid that way."
The second, less common, usage is for an unknown condition. In this case, an indicative verb form is required, as in "I'm treating him as though
he is trustworthy. I'm stupid that way." He may or may not be trustworthy;
you do not know.
GFH

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[nq:2]Well actually the whole sentence is clunky to the point ... was easier than expected and he was joyous, n'est-ce pas?[/nq]
[nq:1]The "easily" I don't have a problem with. she accepted easily; with no need to think it over, with no ... up the problem. Posted via a free Usenet account fromhttp://www.teranews.com- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text -[/nq]
For us Brits, the word 'easy' in relation to women accepting invitations has other connotations which may be influencing my feelings somewhat! :-O

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On 23 Mar 2007 09:26:43 -0700, "Flying Tortoise"
[nq:2]The "easily" I don't have a problem with. she accepted ... written not to communicate, but to set up the problem.[/nq]
[nq:1]For us Brits, the word 'easy' in relation to women accepting invitations has other connotations which may be influencing my feelings somewhat! :-O[/nq]
The same connotation applies to "easy" here, when it refers to the woman herself. Not when it refers to an action she takes. The woman is easy = she's sexually available.
Her answer was easy = She didn't make a big deal about it. Her decision was easy = The decision didn't require any effort.

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[nq:1]"Had asked" would work.[/nq]
I agree
[nq:1]In this case, "as though" indicates a condition contrary to past truth. What he had asked was not whether he ... a condition opposite to truth in any tense, not just past. Present: "I'm treating him as though he is trustworthy.[/nq]
My teaching was that this would be incorrect. Correct is "as though he were trustworthy"
[nq:1]I'm stupid that way." Or future: "I will continue to drive as though my car was in good shape."[/nq]
Again, I was taught "I will continue to drive as though my car were in good shape."
[nq:1]Incidentally, I would not write "accepted his invitation quickly and easily..."; I'd use "accepted his invitation quickly and easily...". I can't tell you why, though, but is clunky there.[/nq]
Clunky because not so common among today's casual speakers. But correct, nonetheless.

How to use "as though"

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