Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence:
He speaks as if he was knowing everything.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. as if he knew everything.
Context: The sentence describes someone behaving in a manner that suggests complete knowledge, though it may not be true.
Grammatical concept: After expressions like “as if” or “as though”, we use the simple past tense to express an unreal or imaginary situation. Also, the verb “know” is a stative verb and is generally not used in continuous form.
Analysis of the given options:
- as if he knows everything : Grammatically possible in some contexts, but less appropriate here for expressing an unreal impression.
- as though he knew everything : Grammatically correct, but changes the original phrase “as if”.
- as if he knew everything : Correct; follows the proper structure for unreal comparison.
- as he knows everything : Incorrect meaning and structure.
Correct word/ phrase: as if he knew everything
Final sentence: He speaks as if he knew everything.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.