Hanuman_2000 Posted 21 years ago
Grammar
groaned
Hello,
1. Mr X stirred and groaned as if in sleep.
I want to know use of "as if" here. Does it indicate that Mr. X was really sleeping or any thinf else?
Thanks and regards.
1. Mr X stirred and groaned as if in sleep.
I want to know use of "as if" here. Does it indicate that Mr. X was really sleeping or any thinf else?
Thanks and regards.
Top answer
In this case 'as if' indicates that sleeping was the possible (_ if) cause of his groaning, but that the groaning may well have been due to some other cause. Mr X stirred and groaned, as if in sleep, but the meat cleaver embedded in his forehead revealed the real cause of his groaning. He had been given the chop!
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In this case 'as if' indicates that sleeping was the possible (_ if) cause of his groaning, but that the groaning may well have been due to some other cause. Mr X stirred and groaned, as if in sleep, but the meat cleaver embedded in his forehead revealed the real cause of his groaning. He had been given the chop!
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