[Grammar] He talked as if he had known ... => In fact he didn't/ hadn't known ...

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wotcha

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He talked as if he were/ had been rich.

I've shortened and briefed my question. :oops:

1. He talked as if he were rich.

2. He talked as if he had been rich.

3. He talks as if he had been rich.


Which one actually mean 'he wasn't rich' among three sentence?


:oops:
 
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philo2009

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Re: He talked as if he were/ had been rich.

I've shortened and briefed my question. :oops:

1. He talked as if he were rich.

2. He talked as if he had been rich.

3. He talks as if he had been rich.


Which one actually mean 'he wasn't rich' among three sentence?


:oops:

None of them definitively. However 1 and 2 suggest that the speaker considers it likely that he was not (of the two, 1 being the more naturally phrased as regards contemporary usage).
 
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