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as if and as though; like

Meaning​

As if and as though are both used to say what a situation seems like. They can refer to something that we think may be true.

  • It looks as if/though it’s going to rain.
  • It sounds as if/though Jack’s going to change his job.

They can also be used to talk about things which we know are not true.

  • I feel as if/though I’m dying.
  • She was acting as if/though she was in charge.

Tenses​

When we talk about things which we know are not true, we can use a past tense with a present meaning after as if/though. This emphasises the meaning of unreality. Compare:

  • She looks as if she is rich. (Perhaps she is.)
    He talks as if he was rich. (But he is definitely not.)
  • You look as though you know each other.
    Why is he looking at me as though he knew me? I’ve never seen him before.

In a formal style, were can be used instead of was in an ‘unreal’ comparison. This is common in American English.

  • He talks as if he were rich.

like meaning ‘as if/though’​

Like is often used in the same way as as if/though, especially in an informal style. This used to be typically American English, but it is now common in British English.

  • It seems like it’s going to rain.
  • He sat there smiling like it was his birthday.
note

For the difference between like and as, (see here).