It looks as if

[Bassim]

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]

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]

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.