Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: He speaks as if he was knowing everything.
as if he knew everything
The clause "as if he was knowing everything" has two faults: "know" is a stative verb and is not normally used in the continuous ("was knowing"), and after "as if" we use the past subjunctive to express something unreal or contrary to fact.
Because he does not really know everything, the unreal comparison after "as if" takes the simple past form "knew". This gives the correct expression "as if he knew everything".
"As if he knows everything" uses the present tense, which treats the situation as real rather than hypothetical. "As though he knew everything" is grammatically fine in itself, but it replaces the connector "as if" with "as though", changing more of the highlighted part than needed; the question asks for the most suitable replacement keeping "as if". "As he knows everything" drops "if" altogether and changes the meaning to a reason.
Hence, the most suitable replacement is "as if he knew everything".
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Important Questions from Sentence Improvement
Select the most appropriate option to substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence.
Transnational linkages, for example, sever the nation-state’s integrity and corrupt state-society relations.
Select the most appropriate option that has the same meaning as the italicised segment.
His illness became a blessing in disguise when he married his nurse.
Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence.
The team always anticipate a bowling friendly pitch on their easy victory in the T20 matches.Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If no substitution is required, select ‘No substitution’.
Satya is always great to his friends who helped him when he was in trouble.Select the option that will improve the underlined part of the given sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select 'No improvement required'.
Is this the same book like our teacher recommended?
