[Grammar] As if

[Jadoon 84]

How to convert these sentences into past tense?

He plays as if he were a professional. You look as if you knew the knew the secret.

 

[Rover_KE]

How to convert these sentences into the past tense?

He plays as if he were a professional. You look as if you knew [STRIKE]the knew[/STRIKE] the secret.

Why don't you try first? It's not difficult.

Rover

 

[Jadoon 84]

Why don't you try first? It's not difficult.

Rover

Respected Teachers
After thinking a lot I am trying as follows. Please check and correct. Thank you very much.
He played as if he had been a professional. You looked as if you had known the secret. ????

 

[emsr2d2]

Respected Teachers
After thinking a lot I am trying as follows. Please check and correct. Thank you very much.
He played as if he had been a professional. You looked as if you had known the secret. [STRIKE]????[/STRIKE]

Your answers are OK although the second is quite unlikely. However, depending on the context, backshifting is not obligatory. It's entirely possible that the sentences could read:

He played as if he were a professional.
You looked as if you knew the secret.

 

[Jadoon 84]

Look at this sentence if it is okay.

You anger as if your cell was broken by me.

Thank you.

 

[emsr2d2]

We don't use "anger" in this way. It's either a noun, or it's used as a verb in (for example) "It angered me that you thought I was lying" or "He angers his wife on a regular basis". In that context, it means "to make someone else angry".