As If She Were/Is

[Mr.Ayed]

Hello, folks.

What is the difference between the following:

1.He deals with her teacher as if she were a stupid.
2.He deals with her teacher as if she is a stupid.


Thanks in advance..

Mr.Ayed

 

[bhaisahab]

Hello, folks.

What is the difference between the following:

1.He deals with her teacher as if she were a stupid.
2.He deals with her teacher as if she is a stupid.


Thanks in advance..

Mr.Ayed

Both are incorrect with "a" before "stupid".

 

[emsr2d2]

Stupid is not a noun.

 

[Mr.Ayed]

Thank you both for your responses.

Having been modified, what is the difference then?

1.He deals with her teacher as if she were stupid.
2.He deals with her teacher as if she is stupid.



My thanks in advance

 

[philo2009]

Many speakers would consider the first, containing past subjunctive 'were', to be more natural, since the teacher's stupidity is (presumably) hypothetical.

Present tenses after 'as if' tend to be more common with verbs such as 'look' or 'seem'.

 

[5jj]

See also philo's post here: https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/ask-teacher/162487-he-talks-if-he-were-doctor.html#post842689

 

[philo2009]

Modesty, of course, forbade me to mention it!

;-)

 

[Mr.Ayed]

Modesty, of course, forbade me to mention it!

;-)

Cool..

Thanks heaps, philo2009, for your comments and if allowed, I am to copy whole thing in that link and print it out to study

Thanks, 5jj, for inserting that link.

Good for you