As If and As Though
Explore how “as if” and “as though” describe behavior, from likely explanations to imaginary situations.
Preview
Questions with solutions-
1. Vælg det rigtige svar.
What does the speaker suggest about Mia?
Mia keeps checking the door as if she's waiting for someone.
- She has confirmed that someone is coming.
- Her behavior suggests that she may be waiting for someone.
- Her behavior shows that she isn't waiting for anyone.
Notice the difference between observing behavior and knowing a fact.
Show solution
- Her behavior suggests that she may be waiting for someone.
“As if” introduces an impression or comparison; it does not confirm that the explanation is true.
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2. Udfyld det tomme felt.
Lena and Amir have just met, but her greeting suggests a friendship that doesn't actually exist.
Lena greets Amir ___ they've known each other for years.
- as though
- even though
- now that
The sentence compares her greeting with an imagined situation.
Show solution
Lena greets Amir as though they've known each other for years.
“As though” means the same as “as if” here. “Even though” and “now that” would present the friendship as real.
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3. Vælg det rigtige svar.
What does “ran” describe here?
Tara arrives out of breath. She looks as if she ran all the way here.
- A habit Tara follows every day.
- An imaginary action Tara is doing now.
- A possible action before her arrival.
Her condition now provides a clue about an earlier action.
Show solution
- A possible action before her arrival.
The simple past can describe a possible real event before now. After “as if,” a past form does not always signal an unreal situation.
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4. Udfyld det tomme felt.
This is a formal comparison with an unreal situation now.
Ben is just visiting, but he gives orders as if he ___ in charge.
- is
- were
- has been
Formal English has a special form of “be” for unreal present situations.
Show solution
Ben is just visiting, but he gives orders as if he were in charge.
In formal English, hypothetical “were” is used with any subject, including “he.” Ben's behavior does not match his actual position.
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5. Vælg det rigtige svar.
What does “knew” refer to?
I only started today, so I don't know the rules. You keep asking me questions as if I knew every rule.
- Imagined knowledge the speaker has now.
- Real knowledge the speaker had but has forgotten.
- Knowledge the speaker expects to gain later.
The speaker is talking about how they are being treated now.
Show solution
- Imagined knowledge the speaker has now.
A past form after “as if” can show distance from reality rather than past time. Here, “knew” refers to unreal present knowledge.
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6. Vælg det rigtige svar.
What situation does Sofia's way of speaking suggest?
Sofia has never worked with the director, but she talks as though she had worked with him for years.
- A long working relationship that will begin in the future.
- A real working relationship that she has forgotten.
- An imagined long working relationship before now.
Notice what the first part tells you about her experience.
Show solution
- An imagined long working relationship before now.
“Had worked” presents an imagined earlier experience. The first clause makes clear that this experience never happened.
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7. Udfyld det tomme felt.
The comparison imagines an action in progress right now, rather than a completed or future action.
The meeting hasn't started, but Max keeps pointing at the clock as though we ___ him waiting.
- were keeping
- had kept
- would keep
The imagined action is ongoing.
Show solution
The meeting hasn't started, but Max keeps pointing at the clock as though we were keeping him waiting.
“Were keeping” combines an unreal comparison with continuous aspect: Max behaves as though the delay is happening now.
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8. Vælg det rigtige svar.
How does Eli seem to view admitting his mistake?
Eli won't admit a small mistake. He acts as though the team would lose all respect for him if he admitted it.
- As something that has already cost him the team's respect.
- As something that would make the team stop respecting him.
- As something that would increase the team's respect for him.
The consequence depends on an action he has not taken.
Show solution
- As something that would make the team stop respecting him.
“Would” describes the consequence Eli seems to imagine. The speaker is not saying that the team would actually react that way.
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9. Vælg det rigtige svar.
What does the comparison suggest about Jade's reaction?
I asked Jade to move her bag. She sighed as though I'd asked her to carry a piano upstairs.
- She believed that the request was literally about moving a piano.
- She was tired because she had already carried a piano upstairs.
- Her reaction seemed much stronger than the small request deserved.
Compare the effort needed for the two tasks.
Show solution
- Her reaction seemed much stronger than the small request deserved.
An exaggerated “as though” comparison can highlight a reaction that seems out of proportion. No actual piano is involved.
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10. Vælg det rigtige svar.
Which conclusion is supported by the sentence?
Riley doesn't sound as though he's certain about the answer.
- His voice does not suggest certainty.
- He is certain that the answer is wrong.
- He definitely knows nothing about the answer.
The negative applies to how he sounds, not directly to what he knows.
Show solution
- His voice does not suggest certainty.
“Doesn't sound as though” rejects an impression of certainty. It does not prove that Riley lacks knowledge or believes the answer is wrong.
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11. Vælg det rigtige svar.
What does “as if to ask a question” describe?
Nora raised her hand as if to ask a question, but then lowered it without speaking.
- A question she had already asked.
- An apparent intention that she did not carry out.
- A requirement that she ask a question.
Her movement suggests a purpose, but her next action matters too.
Show solution
- An apparent intention that she did not carry out.
“As if” can be followed by “to” plus a verb to describe an apparent intention. It does not mean the intended action happened.
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12. Vælg det rigtige svar.
Why is “had been crying” used here?
When Omar arrived, his eyes were red. He looked as though he had been crying.
- It proves the crying was imaginary because this tense always marks unreal events.
- It places the expected crying after his arrival.
- It places the possible crying before the past observation.
Separate the time of the observation from the time of its possible cause.
Show solution
- It places the possible crying before the past observation.
The past perfect continuous places the possible crying before Omar's arrival. This tense alone does not make an “as though” comparison unreal.