Unit 118 · Conjunctions and prepositions
like as if
Study
We use like or as if to say how somebody/something looks, sounds or feels:
That house looks like it’s going to fall down.
or That house looks as if it’s going to fall down.
Amy sounded like she had a cold, didn’t she?
or Amy sounded as if she had a cold, didn’t she?
I’ve just had a holiday, but I feel very tired.
I don’t feel like I’ve had a holiday.
or I don’t feel as if I’ve had a holiday.
You can also use as though in these examples:
I don’t feel as though I’ve had a holiday.
Compare:
You look tired. (look + adjective)
You look like you haven’t slept.
You look as if you haven’t slept.
(look like / as if + subject + verb)
We say: it looks like … or it looks as if …
it sounds like … or it sounds as if …
Sarah is very late. It looks like she isn’t coming.
or It looks as if she isn’t coming.
It looked like it was going to rain, so we took an umbrella.
or It looked as if it was going to rain …
The noise is very loud next door.
It sounds like they’re having a party.
or It sounds as if they’re …
You can also use as though:
It sounds as though they’re having a party.
You can use like / as if / as though with other verbs to say how somebody does something:
He ran like he was running for his life.
After the interruption, the speaker went on talking as if nothing had happened.
When I told them my plan, they looked at me as though I was mad.
After as if, we sometimes use the past when we are talking about the present.
For example:
I don’t like him. He talks as if he knew everything.
The meaning is not past. We use the past (as if he knew) because the idea is not real: he does not know everything. We use the past in the same way with if and wish (see Unit 39).
We do not normally use like in this way.
Some more examples:
She’s always asking me to do things for her – as if I didn’t have enough to do already.
(I have enough to do already)
Joe’s only 40. Why do you talk about him as if he was an old man? (he isn’t an old man)
When you use the past in this way, you can use were instead of was:
Why do you talk about him as if he were an old man?
They treat me as if I were their own son.
or … as if I was their own son.
(I’m not their son)
Exercises (4)
What do you say in these situations? Use the words in brackets to make your sentence.
- 1You meet Bill. He has a black eye and blood on his face. (look / like / be / a fight)You say to him: You a fight.example
- 2Claire comes into the room. She looks absolutely terrified. (look / as if / see / a ghost)You say to her: What’s the matter? You
- 3You have just run one kilometre, but you are exhausted. (feel / like / run / a marathon)You say: I
- 4Joe is on holiday. He’s talking to you on the phone and sounds happy. (sound / as if / have / a good time)You say to him: You
Make sentences beginning It looks like … or It sounds like … .
- 1Sarah said she would be here an hour ago.You say: example
- 2The sky is full of black clouds.You say:
- 3You hear two people shouting at each other next door.You say:
- 4You see an ambulance, some policemen and two damaged cars at the side of the road.You say:
- 5You and a friend are in a supermarket. You’re looking for bananas, but without success.You say:
- 6Dave isn’t feeling well. He tells you all about it.You say:
Complete the sentences with as if. Choose from the box, putting the verbs in the correct form.
- 1Mark looks very tired. He looks .example
- 2I don’t think Paul was joking. He looked .
- 3What’s the matter with Lisa? She’s walking .
- 4Paul was extremely hungry and ate his dinner very quickly. He ate .
- 5I looked at Sarah during the movie. She had a bored expression on her face. She didn’t look .
- 6I told my friends about my plan. They were amazed. They looked at me .
- 7I phoned Kate and invited her to the party, but she wasn’t very enthusiastic. She sounded .
- 8I went into the office, but nobody spoke to me or looked at me. Everybody ignored me .
These sentences are like the ones in Section D. Complete each sentence using as if.
- 1Andy is a terrible driver. He drives the only driver on the road.example
- 2I’m 20 years old, so please don’t talk to me a child.
- 3Steve has never met Nicola, but he talks about her his best friend.
- 4We first met a long time ago, but I remember it yesterday.