He looked as if he were/is fifteen or sixteen.

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Jackson6612

#346041 Sun, 01 Apr 07 03:54 PM

He looked as if he were fifteen or sixteen.

Can't the above sentence be written as:

He looked as if he is fifteen or sixteen?

If we cannot then what is the main reason?

Jackson6612

Joined on Wed, Dec 27 2006

Senior Member (2,890)

NOTE: When you reply to my post, please look for mistakes in grammar, syntax or punctuation, and let me know of any suggestions you have. Thank you.

Philip

#346077 Sun, 01 Apr 07 05:13 PM

Jackson6612 wrote:

He looked as if he were fifteen or sixteen.

Can't the above sentence be written as:

He looked as if he is fifteen or sixteen?

If we cannot then what is the main reason?

I would use 'were', the subjunctive mood to express a contrary-to-fact situation. This is, of course, if the person definitely was NOT 15 or 16.

If you're simply giving a description of how things really are, omit 'as if' and say, "He looked about 15 or 16".

Philip

Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005

USA Pacific Northwest (Seattle)

Veteran Member (5,956)

At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen

Subjunctives

Kooyeen

#346082 Sun, 01 Apr 07 05:22 PM

If we cannot then what is the main reason?

Hi,
He said he is fifteen.
He said he was fifteen.
Both possible, but if you consider...
He looked as if he is fifteen, it doesn't sound good because "looked as if" refers explicitly to a past situation, and the past tense sounds definitely better: He looked as if he was/(were?) fifteen.
I would probably say "He looked like he was fifteen", anyway.
This is my simple opinion Smile [:)]

Kooyeen

Joined on Thu, Dec 22 2005

Italy

Senior Member (3,833)

If you don't have a sense of humor already, it's about time you buy one.

Jackson6612

#346106 Sun, 01 Apr 07 06:23 PM

I was told that were is used instead of was after as if but check the following sentence:

He was eating like as if there was no tomorrow.

What is difference between the meaning of the following sentences:

1: He was eating like as if there is no tomorrow.

2: He was eating like as if there was no tomorrow.

What is difference between the meaning of the following sentences:

1: He was eating like as if there is no tomorrow.

2: He was eating like as if there was no tomorrow.

I used colon after the sentence What is difference between the meaning of the following sentences which is interrogative sentence, therefore I must have used question mark instead of colon but colon was also necessary then does that mean in such cases there is no need for question mark?

Jackson6612

Colons, Difference between, Question marks

Yoong Liat

#346126 Sun, 01 Apr 07 07:52 PM

1: He was eating like as if there is no tomorrow.

2: He was eating like as if there was no tomorrow.

It should be "He was eating as if there was no tomorrow."

Yoong Liat

Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006

Singapore

Veteran Member (5,861)

Yoong Liat

Philip

#346151 Sun, 01 Apr 07 09:14 PM

Yoong Liat wrote:

1: He was eating like as if there is no tomorrow.

2: He was eating like as if there was no tomorrow.

It should be "He was eating as if there was no tomorrow."

Sorry to disagree. "as if there were no tomorrow": subjunctive needed for contrary-to-fact element.

Philip

Subjunctives

Yoong Liat

#346653 Tue, 03 Apr 07 06:46 AM

Philip wrote:
Yoong Liat wrote:

1: He was eating like as if there is no tomorrow.

2: He was eating like as if there was no tomorrow.

It should be "He was eating as if there was no tomorrow."
Sorry to disagree. "as if there were no tomorrow": subjunctive needed for contrary-to-fact element.

Both are correct. He was eating as if there was / were no tomorrow." "Were" is more formal.

Yoong Liat

Subjunctives

Jackson6612

#346764 Tue, 03 Apr 07 01:56 PM

Jackson6612 wrote:

Question 1:

I was told that were is used instead of was after as if but check the following sentence:

He was eating like as if there was no tomorrow.

Question 2:

What is difference between the meaning of the following sentences:

1: He was eating like as if there is no tomorrow.

2: He was eating like as if there was no tomorrow.

Question 3:

What is difference between the meaning of the following sentences:

1: He was eating like as if there is no tomorrow.

2: He was eating like as if there was no tomorrow.

I used colon after the sentence What is difference between the meaning of the following sentences which is interrogative sentence, therefore I must have used question mark instead of colon but colon was also necessary then does that mean in such cases there is no need for question mark?