Page 248 - English Grammar in Use

Unit
118 like as if

A We use like or as if to say how somebody/something looks, sounds or feels:
That house looks like it’s going to fall down. or
That house looks as if it’s going to fall down.
Amy sounded like she had a cold, didn’t she? or
Amy sounded as if she had a cold, didn’t she?
I’ve just had a holiday, but I feel very tired. That house looks like it’s
I don’t feel like I’ve had a holiday. or going to fall down.
I don’t feel as if I’ve had a holiday.
You can also use as though in these examples:
I don’t feel as though I’ve had a holiday.
Compare:
You look tired. (look + adjective)
You look like you haven’t slept. ⎧ (look like / as if + subject + verb)
You look as if you haven’t slept. ⎨ ⎩

B We say: it looks like … or it looks as if … It sounds like they’re
it sounds like … or it sounds as if … having a party next door.
Sarah is very late. It looks like she isn’t coming.
or It looks as if she isn’t coming.
It looked like it was going to rain, so we took
an umbrella.
or It looked as if it was going to rain …
The noise is very loud next door.
It sounds like they’re having a party.
or It sounds as if they’re …
You can also use as though:
It sounds as though they’re having a party.

C You can use like / as if / as though with other verbs to say how somebody does something:
He ran like he was running for his life.
After the interruption, the speaker went on talking as if nothing had happened.

When I told them my plan, they looked at me as though I was mad.

D Aft er as if, we sometimes use the past when we are talking about the present.
For example:
I don’t like him. He talks as if he knew everything.
The meaning is not past. We use the past (as if he knew) because the idea is not real: he does not
know everything. We use the past in the same way with if and wish (see Unit 39).
We do not normally use like in this way.
Some more examples:
She’s always asking me to do things for her – as if I didn’t have enough to do already.
(I have enough to do already)
Joe’s only 40. Why do you talk about him as if he was an old man? (he isn’t an old man)

When you use the past in this way, you can use were instead of was:
Why do you talk about him as if he were an old man?
They treat me as if I were their own son. or … as if I was their own son.
(I’m not their son)

236 if I was/were ➜ Unit 39C look/sound etc. + adjective ➜ Unit 99C like and as ➜ Unit 117