"as if"

Question

hello!"as if" can be used to form clauses e.g.adverbial clause. so, if both "as" and "if" are conjunction in form, does it contravene the use of a conjunction, or "if" functions as a noun in this case? (a conjunction is a word used to join words or group of words together) thank you.

Dan01 · Accepted Answer

hehe...please pardon me again as i've posted the above in a haste.

Dan01 · Answer

i would appreciate if someone can help me with the question.

thank you.

J Lewis · Answer

Example: He behaves as if he owned the place. The origin of this form is, I think He behaves as he would/could if he owned the place.

Don't talk to me as if I were/was an idiot = Don't talk to me as would be appropriate if I were an idiot.

The two conjunctions together can be explained by the fact that there is an understood clause between them.
I don't know if anyone else has a better explanation. Interestingly you can't divide "as though" in the same way.

Dan01 · Answer

thanks lewis. the combination of these two conjunctions do not go against any grammatical rules as there is a understood clause when the "would/could" is omitted.

my curiosity arises as these two conjunctions have seemingly related meanings, and it's like redundant in a grammatical sense. but when one divides up these two words, it sounds incorrect.

Goodman · Answer

It seems to me that there has been quite a number of questions revolving “if”, “as” and “as if” lately. Each offers a different meaning when used in different context. I am afraid there is no easy explanation in spite of many attempts by the experts.

I find this website quite useful in explanation which may help answer some of the posted questions.

http://www.bartleby.com/64/C001/061.html

Dan01 · Answer

thanks goodman.  i'll do it now.

Mister Micawber · Answer

I am afraid that I do not understand the original problem or the question arising therefrom. As if is simply one of several phrasal subordinating conjunctions, as are as though, so as, even if, etc.

Dan01 · Answer

hi mm!

doing an analysis on the phrasal structure.

to put it simply, is it grammatically correct to place a conjunction (as) together with another conjunction (if), because it's like "and and"?

a conjunction is a word used to join words and groups of words together.

Mister Micawber · Answer

As if is a single phrasal conjunction with a long and honoured history in the language:

Must I remember? why, she would hang on him,
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on: and yet, within a month--
Let me not think on't--Frailty, thy name is woman!--

Let us rather
Hold fast the mortal sword, and like good men
Bestride our down-fall'n birthdom: each new morn
New widows howl, new orphans cry, new sorrows
Strike heaven on the face, that it resounds
As if it felt with Scotland and yell'd out
Like syllable of dolour.

As if that name,
Shot from the deadly level of a gun,
Did murder her; as that name's cursed hand
Murder'd her kinsman. O, tell me, friar, tell me,
In what vile part of this anatomy
Doth my name lodge? tell me, that I may sack
The hateful mansion.

etc.

That does not mean that you can put any two conjunctions together, any more than you can use brung as the past participle of bring just because rung is the past participle of ring.

Dan01 · Answer

the two words as a single phrasal conjunction. anyway, i've a long way to go before reciting poetic passages.

haha, 'brung' - like mouse and mice as house and hice respectively.

thanks mister micawber.

ps: found this while doing a search on phrasal subordinating conjunction.

link

"as if"

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