Grammar focus

As if / As though

We use as if and as though to describe how something seems, feels or appears. They introduce a comparison: the situation may be real, unreal or imagined.

1. Same meaning, slightly different preference

As if and as though have the same meaning. As if is more commonly used.

It’s as though he’s not really here.
You look as if you’re really stressed.

2. Choose the tense by meaning

The key question is: do we think the comparison is real/probable, or unreal/unlikely?

A tired woman resting her head on her hand at a desk

REAL / PROBABLE Present simple

as if + present simple

She looks as if she is exhausted.

She probably is exhausted.

UNREAL / IMPROBABLE Past simple

as if + past simple

He acts as if he were the boss.

He isn’t the boss.

A surprised young man standing near an old door

PAST COMPARISON Past perfect

as if + had + past participle

He looked as if he had seen a ghost.

He hadn’t seen a ghost.

Photos: tired person · confident man · surprised man (Unsplash)

3. The three patterns, side by side

Pattern	Meaning	Example
as if + present simple	Real or probable	He talks as if he knows the answer.
as if + past simple	Unreal or improbable now	He talks as if he knew everything.
as if + past perfect	Comparison with an earlier past	He looked as if he had seen a ghost.

Important: the past simple after as if does not necessarily refer to past time. It can show that the comparison is unreal in the present.

4. Was or were?

For unreal or improbable situations, we can use was or were with I / he / she / it. Were is more common in written English.

She acts as if she was / were the boss.

5. Other useful structures

as if / as though + infinitive
Tom moved his lips slightly as if to smile.

as if / as though + prepositional phrase
I screamed as if in pain.

Informal English: like
You look like you’ve been swimming. (Especially common in informal British English.)

Remember: after verbs such as act, be, feel, look, seem, sound and taste, we can use as if or as though.

Exercise 1 · Multiple choice

Choose the correct option

Choose the form that best matches the meaning of each sentence.

1. Look at this mess! It looks as if nobody ever … in here.

We use the present simple for a real or probable comparison. “Nobody ever cleans” is the natural general statement here? Use the present simple for a habitual situation: nobody ever cleans in here.

2. When I saw Jack yesterday, he looked as if he … really stressed.

The main verb is in the past (looked), and the description refers to that moment yesterday.

3. It seems as though nothing … before 8 a.m.

Present simple describes the usual situation: nothing opens before 8 a.m.

4. You act as if you … in charge, but you aren’t!

Past simple (were) marks an unreal comparison in the present.

5. It seemed as though everyone … about the news except me.

Past perfect shows that hearing the news happened before the moment being described.

6. I felt as if I … been dragged through a hedge backwards!

The reference allows a present perfect or past perfect comparison depending on the time perspective. In this sentence, the intended form is ’d (I’d been dragged), describing how you felt at a past moment.

Exercise 2 · Guided practice

Complete the sentences

Use the words in brackets. Change the verb form where necessary.

1. (He / always / look / as if / he / be / down in the dumps)

He always looks as if he is down in the dumps, doesn’t he?

2. They seemed … a lot of experience, but in fact they didn’t. (though / have)

They seemed as though they had a lot of experience, but in fact they didn’t.

3. When he turned away, … (it appear / as if / he / not hear / me)

When he turned away, it appeared as if he had not heard me.

4. … with her sister at the moment. (She / feel / as if / something / be / not right)

She feels as if something is not right with her sister at the moment.

5. It looked … a hundred times before. (if / he / make / the cake)

It looked as if he had made the cake a hundred times before.

6. …, but there’s a big problem. (Right now / you / act / as though / nothing / be / wrong)

Right now you are acting as though nothing is wrong, but there’s a big problem.

Tip: punctuation and contractions may vary. Focus on the tense and the structure.

Exercise 3 · Sentence transformation

Rewrite the sentences

Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first. Use as if or as though.

1. It looked cold outside. It wasn’t.

It looked outside, but it wasn’t.

It looked as if / as though it were (or was) cold outside, but it wasn’t.

2. He looked at me. He hadn’t noticed me before.

He looked at me for the first time.

He looked at me as if / as though he had not noticed me for the first time.

3. She looks worried. Maybe she’s worried about the exam.

She looks about the exam.

She looks as if / as though she is worried about the exam.

4. They spoke like experts on the subject. They weren’t.

They talked on the subject.

They talked as if / as though they were experts on the subject.

5. We felt that we weren’t seeing this film for the first time.

It felt this film before.

It felt as if / as though we had seen this film before.

Interactive game · Real or imagined?

What’s the reality?

Read the situation, then choose the sentence that best describes it. You’ll need to notice whether the comparison is real, unreal or about an earlier past.

Situation 1 of 6

The know-it-all

A confident man in a suit in a modern office

Alex answers every question confidently. He really does know the topic very well.

Photo: Pexels

Choose the best sentence

Score: 0 / 6

Game strategy: Ask yourself: “Is it probably true?” → present simple. “Is it not true now?” → past simple. “Did it happen before that past moment?” → past perfect.

Final practice · Make it your own

Mini challenge

Complete each prompt with your own idea. Then compare it with the model answer. There may be more than one correct answer.

1. Describe someone who is behaving as if they were the boss.

Model: He gives everyone orders as if he were the boss.

2. Describe a person who looks as if they have had a very long day.

Model: She looks as if she has been working all day.

3. Describe a reaction as if something surprising had happened.

Model: He stared at me as if he had seen a ghost.

4. Write one sentence with as though + infinitive or a prepositional phrase.

Model: She raised her hand as though to ask a question.

Quick self-check

Did I choose the tense according to the meaning?
Did I use the past simple for an unreal present comparison?
Did I use the past perfect for an earlier past comparison?
Did I include as if or as though correctly?