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Ardorado Posted 14 years ago
Grammar
Past subjunctive?
the verb after subject has to be past tense, when it's 'as if + subjunctive'?
for ex,
'you talk as if you had met him'
'He talks as if he knew her'
'he talked as if he had known her'
are those grammatically right?
for ex,
'you talk as if you had met him'
'He talks as if he knew her'
'he talked as if he had known her'
are those grammatically right?
Top answer
Your examples are grammatically correct, but they are not past subjunctive constructions. g. "If he were in love with her he'd change his job".
- Your examples are grammatically correct, but they are not past subjunctive constructions.
- g.
- "If he were in love with her he'd change his job".
- BillJ
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4 Answers
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Your examples are grammatically correct, but they are not past subjunctive constructions. The so-called 'past subjunctive' uses the verb-form "were" as a mood form, e.g. "If he were in love with her he'd change his job".
BillJ
BillJ
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Hi,
You talk as if you had met him. -- Strictly speaking, this one does not strike me as correct.
The rest are fine.
A sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a period.
Regards
You talk as if you had met him. -- Strictly speaking, this one does not strike me as correct.
The rest are fine.
A sentence starts with a capital letter and ends with a period.
Regards
00
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ardoradothe verb after subject has to be past tense, when it's 'as if + subjunctive'?In actual practice just about any tense is used after "as if" as well as some modal constructions.
He talks as if he [knows / knew / had known / might know / might have known] her.
He talked as if he [knew / had known / might have known] her.
CJ
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