diagram this sentence

[lyn2222]

I need to diagram this sentence and fill in the blank and explain why the chosen fill-in is correct:

He acts as if he _____ the coolest guy in school.

fill in either is, was, or were.

I think it should be "is," but need to cite a rule to support my answer. Help?? Thanks

[Horsa]

The correct answer is 'were'.

This is called the subjunctive and it is used to show that the speaker does not believe that 'he is the coolest guy in school'.

[Buddhaheart]

The correct choice as Horsa suggested is ‘were’: He acts as if he were the coolest guy in school. I’ll try to analyze or diagram this as a complex sentence. The analysis is not necessarily complete.

ST (Type of sentence): Complex

MCL (Main or Independent clause): He acts
SCL (Subordinate or dependent clause): (as if) he were the coolest guy in school
CONJ (Conjunction): as if

Type of SCL: Adverbial CL of manner
Type of CONJ: Compound

MCL
S (Subject): He
Pred (Predicate): acts
VI (Intransitive verb ): acts

SCL:
S (Subject): He
VL (Linking verb): were
COMP (Complement): the coolest guy in school
NP (Noun phrase): the coolest guy
AD (Definite Article): the
AP (Predicative adjective): coolest
NH (Head noun): guy
PPAQ (Prepositional phrase acting as adverbial): in school
P (Preposition): in
OP (Object of Preposition): school
AQ (Adverbial adjunct): in school
NQbAQ (Noun qualified by AQ): guy