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'As if' and 'as though' both mean 'as though'; the tense chosen indicates whether the situation is real or imaginary.
Side-by-side comparison
Use them with the hypothetical past to describe a situation you know is not real. The verb tense is what signals whether the comparison is imaginary or possible.
He talked about the project as though he had done all the work himself.
She kept checking her phone as though she was expecting an urgent message.
He spent money as though he had an unlimited budget.
The same expressions can take the indicative when the situation could actually be real or probable. Switching the verb tense switches the entire meaning.
It looks as if it's going to snow tonight; the sky is already grey.
She acted as if nothing had happened, even though everyone knew the truth.
He walked in as if he owned the place and sat right at the front.
Common mistake
The most common subjunctive mistake: "She acts as if she was the CEO" should be "She acts as if she were the CEO" in formal English, because she clearly is not (unreal situation).
Trick to remember it
- •Is the situation unreal or does the speaker know it is false? Use hypothetical past: "as if she were / knew".
- •Is the situation possible or probable? Use indicative: "as if she is / knows".
Quick rule
- •"As if" + past (were/knew) = unreal situation in the present.
- •"As if" + indicative (is/knows) = possible or real situation.
- •In formal English use "were" (not "was") with unreal "as if".
Did you know?
The "as if/as though" construction with subjunctive is one of the few survivors of the English subjunctive, a verb mood that existed in Old and Middle English but has almost vanished from everyday use. Today the English subjunctive only appears in specific contexts: "if I were you", "as if he were", "I suggest that he be informed". The form "were" for all persons is the most visible marker of the modern English subjunctive.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
She was shaking. It looked _____ she had seen a ghost.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
He spent money _____ he _____ a millionaire. But he earns a normal salary.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
'Even if' is used for hypotheticals or uncertain conditions; 'even though' is used for real, established facts.
The second conditional expresses imaginary present or future situations; the third expresses past situations that did not happen.
'Wish' and 'if only' express desires about hypothetical situations; 'if only' is more emphatic and dramatic.
'A' is used before consonant sounds; 'an' is used before vowel sounds.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy