A question about “as if”
I wonder whether the following sentence uses "as if" correctly.
David makes a desk as if it were made by John.
Does this sentence mean "David makes a desk which looks like one made by John"?
subjunctive-mood
asked 2 days ago
Matteo García
354
add a comment |
I wonder whether the following sentence uses "as if" correctly.
David makes a desk as if it were made by John.
Does this sentence mean "David makes a desk which looks like one made by John"?
subjunctive-mood
asked 2 days ago
Matteo García
354
add a comment |
I wonder whether the following sentence uses "as if" correctly.
David makes a desk as if it were made by John.
Does this sentence mean "David makes a desk which looks like one made by John"?
subjunctive-mood
asked 2 days ago
Matteo García
354
I wonder whether the following sentence uses "as if" correctly.
David makes a desk as if it were made by John.
Does this sentence mean "David makes a desk which looks like one made by John"?
subjunctive-mood
subjunctive-mood
asked 2 days ago
Matteo García
354
asked 2 days ago
Matteo García
354
asked 2 days ago
Matteo García
354
asked 2 days ago
Matteo García
354
asked 2 days ago
Matteo García
354
354
add a comment |
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
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votes
No, it's confusing to me as a US-English native speaker. Also "makes a desk" is unclear. Like, is he a carpenter building desks? I'd expect to see something more like:
- David makes desks just like John does.
- David makes desks just like John's.
or...
- David makes desks as if the whole world depended on it.
- David makes desks as if he didn't give a damn.
- David is making desks as if he didn't have plans in an hour.
I hope that helps with the kind of tone that as if gives. There's a kind of unreal quality to it.
answered 2 days ago
Johnny
1706
New contributor
Johnny is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
+1 for a good answer. But in Britain 'as if' is, I believe, used more widely, and 'like' in this sense, less often. For example I might say 'David produces desks to look as if they were John's'. An American (and some in Britain) would probably use 'like' rather than 'as if' here. But I am conditioned by a traditional education to regard 'like' as incorrect here.
– WS2
yesterday
1
@WS2 So I can say "David produces a desk to look as if it is produced by John"?
– Matteo García
22 hours ago
1
@MatteoGarcía That's exactly how I would say it.
– WS2
20 hours ago
add a comment |
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
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active
oldest
votes
No, it's confusing to me as a US-English native speaker. Also "makes a desk" is unclear. Like, is he a carpenter building desks? I'd expect to see something more like:
- David makes desks just like John does.
- David makes desks just like John's.
or...
- David makes desks as if the whole world depended on it.
- David makes desks as if he didn't give a damn.
- David is making desks as if he didn't have plans in an hour.
I hope that helps with the kind of tone that as if gives. There's a kind of unreal quality to it.
answered 2 days ago
Johnny
1706
New contributor
Johnny is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
+1 for a good answer. But in Britain 'as if' is, I believe, used more widely, and 'like' in this sense, less often. For example I might say 'David produces desks to look as if they were John's'. An American (and some in Britain) would probably use 'like' rather than 'as if' here. But I am conditioned by a traditional education to regard 'like' as incorrect here.
– WS2
yesterday
1
@WS2 So I can say "David produces a desk to look as if it is produced by John"?
– Matteo García
22 hours ago
1
@MatteoGarcía That's exactly how I would say it.
– WS2
20 hours ago
add a comment |
No, it's confusing to me as a US-English native speaker. Also "makes a desk" is unclear. Like, is he a carpenter building desks? I'd expect to see something more like:
- David makes desks just like John does.
- David makes desks just like John's.
or...
- David makes desks as if the whole world depended on it.
- David makes desks as if he didn't give a damn.
- David is making desks as if he didn't have plans in an hour.
I hope that helps with the kind of tone that as if gives. There's a kind of unreal quality to it.
answered 2 days ago
Johnny
1706
New contributor
Johnny is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
+1 for a good answer. But in Britain 'as if' is, I believe, used more widely, and 'like' in this sense, less often. For example I might say 'David produces desks to look as if they were John's'. An American (and some in Britain) would probably use 'like' rather than 'as if' here. But I am conditioned by a traditional education to regard 'like' as incorrect here.
– WS2
yesterday
1
@WS2 So I can say "David produces a desk to look as if it is produced by John"?
– Matteo García
22 hours ago
1
@MatteoGarcía That's exactly how I would say it.
– WS2
20 hours ago
add a comment |
No, it's confusing to me as a US-English native speaker. Also "makes a desk" is unclear. Like, is he a carpenter building desks? I'd expect to see something more like:
- David makes desks just like John does.
- David makes desks just like John's.
or...
- David makes desks as if the whole world depended on it.
- David makes desks as if he didn't give a damn.
- David is making desks as if he didn't have plans in an hour.
I hope that helps with the kind of tone that as if gives. There's a kind of unreal quality to it.
answered 2 days ago
Johnny
1706
New contributor
Johnny is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
No, it's confusing to me as a US-English native speaker. Also "makes a desk" is unclear. Like, is he a carpenter building desks? I'd expect to see something more like:
- David makes desks just like John does.
- David makes desks just like John's.
or...
- David makes desks as if the whole world depended on it.
- David makes desks as if he didn't give a damn.
- David is making desks as if he didn't have plans in an hour.
I hope that helps with the kind of tone that as if gives. There's a kind of unreal quality to it.
answered 2 days ago
Johnny
1706
New contributor
Johnny is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 2 days ago
Johnny
1706
New contributor
Johnny is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
answered 2 days ago
Johnny
1706
answered 2 days ago
Johnny
1706
1706
New contributor
Johnny is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Johnny is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Johnny is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
+1 for a good answer. But in Britain 'as if' is, I believe, used more widely, and 'like' in this sense, less often. For example I might say 'David produces desks to look as if they were John's'. An American (and some in Britain) would probably use 'like' rather than 'as if' here. But I am conditioned by a traditional education to regard 'like' as incorrect here.
– WS2
yesterday
1
@WS2 So I can say "David produces a desk to look as if it is produced by John"?
– Matteo García
22 hours ago
1
@MatteoGarcía That's exactly how I would say it.
– WS2
20 hours ago
add a comment |
+1 for a good answer. But in Britain 'as if' is, I believe, used more widely, and 'like' in this sense, less often. For example I might say 'David produces desks to look as if they were John's'. An American (and some in Britain) would probably use 'like' rather than 'as if' here. But I am conditioned by a traditional education to regard 'like' as incorrect here.
– WS2
yesterday
1
@WS2 So I can say "David produces a desk to look as if it is produced by John"?
– Matteo García
22 hours ago
1
@MatteoGarcía That's exactly how I would say it.
– WS2
20 hours ago
+1 for a good answer. But in Britain 'as if' is, I believe, used more widely, and 'like' in this sense, less often. For example I might say 'David produces desks to look as if they were John's'. An American (and some in Britain) would probably use 'like' rather than 'as if' here. But I am conditioned by a traditional education to regard 'like' as incorrect here.
– WS2
yesterday
+1 for a good answer. But in Britain 'as if' is, I believe, used more widely, and 'like' in this sense, less often. For example I might say 'David produces desks to look as if they were John's'. An American (and some in Britain) would probably use 'like' rather than 'as if' here. But I am conditioned by a traditional education to regard 'like' as incorrect here.
– WS2
yesterday
1
1
@WS2 So I can say "David produces a desk to look as if it is produced by John"?
– Matteo García
22 hours ago
@WS2 So I can say "David produces a desk to look as if it is produced by John"?
– Matteo García
22 hours ago
1
1
@MatteoGarcía That's exactly how I would say it.
– WS2
20 hours ago
@MatteoGarcía That's exactly how I would say it.
– WS2
20 hours ago
add a comment |
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