It looks as if

Bassim · Apr 9, 2012

Please, would someone tell me if this is the correct use of the phrase "it looks as if":

1.It looks as if he has completely lost touch with reality.
2.It looked as if the war was going to break out any moment.
3. It looked as if a woman had not eaten properly for days.
4. It looks as if we are going to have a new champion.
5. It looked as if they were lost in the mountain. or should one say:
6. It looked as if they had been lost in the mountain.

emsr2d2 · Apr 10, 2012

Bassim said:
Please, would someone tell me if this is the correct use of the phrase "it looks as if":

1.It looks as if he has completely lost touch with reality. Yes.
2.It looked as if [STRIKE]the[/STRIKE] war was going to break out any moment. Take away "the" and it's fine.
3. It looked as if [STRIKE]a[/STRIKE] the woman had not eaten properly for days. Change "a" to "the" and it's fine.
4. It looks as if we are going to have a new champion. Yes.

5. It looked as if they were lost [STRIKE]in the mountain.[/STRIKE] Either "in the mountains" or "on the mountain".
6. It looked as if they had been lost [STRIKE]in the mountain[/STRIKE]. Either "in the mountains" or "on the mountain".
The tense you use will depend on the tense of the piece.

See above.

billmcd · Apr 10, 2012

I would agree with all of your responses except that in #2, depending on context (as usual), "the" could be OK if, for example, a narrative describing factors or tensions leading up to the war, led the narrator to state that the specific war being referenced might begin at any moment.

It looks as if

Bassim

VIP Member

emsr2d2

Moderator

billmcd

Key Member

Similar threads