AS IF / AS THOUGH 

 
(DƯỜNG NHƯ THỂ) 
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1. As if / As though + Past Subjunctive  
a) The past subjunctive can be used after as if / as though to
indicate unreality or improbability or doubt in the present (there is no difference
between as if and as though):  
-  He behaves as if he owned the place. (But he doesn't own it or probably doesn't own it or we
don't know whether he owns it or not.)  
-  He talks as though he knew where she was. (But he doesn't know or he probably doesn't know
or we don't know whether he knows or not.)  
-  He orders me about as if I were  his wife. (But I am not.)  
* With the verb “be”, the past subjunctive form is
either I/he/she/it was or I/he/she/it were. In expressions of doubt or
unreality “were” is more usual than “was”. 
b) The verb preceding as if/though can be put into a past tense without changing
the tense of the subjunctive:  
-  He talks/talked  as though he  knew where she was.  
2. After as if/as though we use a past perfect when referring to a real or
imaginary action in the past:  
-  He talks about Rome as though he had been there himself. (But he hasn't or probably hasn't or
we don't know whether he has or not.)  
Again, the verb preceding as if/though can be put into a past tense without
changing the tense of the subjunctive:  
-  He looks/looked as though he hadn't had a decent meal for  a month. 
PRACTICE 
1. English is not her native language. -> She speaks English as if were her native
language. 
2. His hair looked as if it (comb) were combed with his fingers. 
3. Her pink dress and her frilly umbrella made her look as though she
(come) came to a garden party. 
4. He felt as if he (be) was the centre of the universe. 
5. She described it as if she (see) had seen it all with her own eyes. 
6. This hole in my shirt looks as if it (make) was made by a bullet. 
7. They’d always treated her exactly as if she (be) were their own daughter. 
8. I was so happy that I felt as if I (have) had wings and (can) could fly. 
9. She’s always asking me to do things for her – as if I (not have) didn’t
have enough to do already. 
10. He talks as if he (know) knew everything. 
11. Joe’s only 40. Why do you talk about him as if he (be) were an old man? 
12. The whole building is seriously damaged. It looks as if it (destroy) had been
destroyed by bombs. 
13. Andy is a terrible driver. He drives as if he (be) were the only driver on the
road. 
14. He talks as if he (do) had done all the work himself, but in fact I did most of it. 
15. Jennifer dresses up as though she (be) was a princess.  
16. They ate dinner as if they (not eat) hadn’t eaten for a week. 
17. My sister spends money as if she (own) owned a bank. 
18. He walked very slowly as if he (be) was ill. 
19. They felt as though they (give) had been given the wrong information because
when they came to the meeting, there was no one there. 
20. I remember stepping off the boat in New York as if it (be) was yesterday. 
21. He treated me as if we (never meet) had never met before. 
22. He shouldn’t have left her alone, just as if she (be) was someone of no
importance at all. 
23. He screamed in great fright as if he (see) saw a ghost. 
24. It’s very cold today. It looks as if it (be) was autumn now. 
25. Henry talks to his dog as if it (understand) understood him.  
26. They were wet as if they (swim) had swum for hours. 
27. The boys shouted loudly as if they (win) won a prize.