like, as if, as though (like / as if / as though)
like, as if và as though cùng được dùng để nói ai / cái gì TRÔNG, NGHE, CẢM THẤY như thế nào: That house looks like / as if it’s going to fall down. Sau chúng là chủ ngữ + động từ. Còn sau look (và các động từ nối khác) thì dùng tính từ khi không có mệnh đề: You look tired. Cũng dùng với các động từ khác để nói ai đó làm gì theo kiểu nào: He ran like he was running for his life. Sau as if, khi nói về hiện tại, đôi khi dùng thì quá khứ vì ý đó không có thật: He talks as if he knew everything (thực ra không biết).
look / sound / feel + like / as if / as though + chủ ngữ + động từ
That house looks like it’s going to fall down (hoặc looks as if …). Amy sounded like she had a cold, didn’t she? (hoặc sounded as if …). I’ve just had a holiday, but I feel very tired. I don’t feel like I’ve had a holiday (hoặc as if / as though). So sánh: You look tired (look + tính từ) ⇄ You look like you haven’t slept / You look as if you haven’t slept (look like / as if + chủ ngữ + động từ).
- That house looks like it’s going to fall down. — Ngôi nhà đó trông như sắp đổ.
- You look tired. / You look as if you haven’t slept. — Trông bạn mệt. / Trông bạn như chưa ngủ.
It looks like … / It sounds as if …
Dùng it làm chủ ngữ: Sarah is very late. It looks like she isn’t coming (hoặc It looks as if she isn’t coming). It looked like it was going to rain, so we took an umbrella. The noise is very loud next door. It sounds like they’re having a party (hoặc It sounds as if / as though they’re having a party).
- Sarah is very late. It looks like she isn’t coming. — Sarah trễ quá. Có vẻ cô ấy không đến.
- The noise is very loud. It sounds as if they’re having a party. — Tiếng ồn rất to. Nghe như họ đang mở tiệc.
like / as if / as though với động từ khác: nói cách làm
He ran like he was running for his life. After the interruption, the speaker went on talking as if nothing had happened. When I told them my plan, they looked at me as though I was mad.
- He ran like he was running for his life. — Anh ta chạy như chạy trối chết.
- The speaker went on talking as if nothing had happened. — Diễn giả tiếp tục nói như chẳng có chuyện gì xảy ra.
as if + quá khứ cho hiện tại không có thật; as if he were
Sau as if đôi khi dùng quá khứ để nói về hiện tại: I don’t like him. He talks as if he knew everything (anh ta không biết mọi thứ). She’s always asking me to do things for her — as if I didn’t have enough to do already. Joe’s only 40. Why do you talk about him as if he was an old man? Khi dùng quá khứ như vậy có thể dùng were thay was: as if he were an old man; They treat me as if I were their own son (hoặc was). Không dùng like theo cách này.
- He talks as if he knew everything. (he doesn’t) — Anh ta nói cứ như thể biết hết mọi thứ. (thực ra không)
- Why do you talk about him as if he were an old man? — Sao bạn nói về anh ấy như thể anh ấy là ông già?
Lưu ý
- Khi không có mệnh đề phía sau, look + tính từ: “You look tired”, không nói “You look like tired”.