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Littlefuryman Posted 15 years ago
Grammar

Subjunctive following 'as if'

He looks as if he has seen / had seen / saw a ghost.

The clause following 'if' is counterfactual, so shouldn't it be 'had seen' (past subjunctive) and not 'has seen' (present indicative)? To my ear, however, the latter sounds like the only correct option of the two. And what is the difference between 'had seen a ghost' and 'saw a ghost'?

Thanks
  

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Can someone please answer? The second question is unimportant, I would just like an explanation for the first one if someone doesn't mind . .

— Littlefuryman

  • Can someone please answer?
  • The second question is unimportant, I would just like an explanation for the first one if someone doesn't mind .
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6 Answers
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Can someone please answer? The second question is unimportant, I would just like an explanation for the first one if someone doesn't mind . . .
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I think you could use this sentence if we are talking about a situation completely in the past:

He looked as if he had seen a ghost

sorry if i were wrong
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Almost any tense can be used after "as if". If there is any rule, it is not a very strict one. I have checked many, many examples using Google and have found that there is absolutely no "usual tense" that goes with "as if". In short, it's your choice. Use whichever sounds best to you.

CJ

See also

See also

CJ
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Hmmm, I have always thought that if a statement is counterfactual following 'as if' it should be used in the past subjunctive.

e.g. -He acts as if he were the King of England.

I am not familiar with any rules concerning the perfect aspect with 'as if' or 'as though'.
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AnonymousHmmm, I have always thought that if a statement is counterfactual following 'as if' it should be used in the past subjunctive.

e.g. -He acts as if he were the King of England.

I am not familiar with any rules concerning the perfect aspect with 'as if' or 'as though'.
If this is true, then why does "he looks as if he had seen a ghost"
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littlefurymanwhy does "he looks as if he had seen a ghost" sound so wrong?
It may sound wrong because it skips a step, so to speak, in the tense structure, which is an unusual practice.

does looks as if

did

had done had seen

looks - has seen and looked - had seen would not skip in th
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