Russian lessons: how to spell "as if"

In everyday speech and writing, the expression "as if" is common, but its spelling sometimes raises questions even among experienced native speakers. About how to write "as if" correctly and what will help you remember the rule — in the material of Izvestia.

Rule: "as if"

"As if" can be a conjunction or a particle in a sentence. But no matter which part of speech the combination is, it is always written separately, in two words. There is no need for a space or hyphen between "as" and "as if".

Important: "how" is written with a hyphen only if the following particles are placed after it: "something", "-either", "something". "As if" does not apply to them, so options like "as if" or "as if" are considered a gross mistake.

Recall that the combination "as if" can act as a conjunction and denote a comparison (it can be replaced with "as if"), or a particle that adds a touch of uncertainty (it can be thrown out of the sentence without losing its meaning).

Spelling "as if" does not depend on the part of speech. But it affects the setting of the comma.

• "As if" is a conjunction in a compound sentence, preceded by a comma.

• If "As if" is a particle, then a comma is not needed.

How to remember how to spell "as if"

Remembering the correct spelling of "as if" is not difficult if you use simple associations and checks. Here are the sequential steps to commit the rule to memory.:

— Check for independence: remove "as if" from "as if", and "as if" will remain an independent word (for example, "As if it were true?").

— Remember the exceptions: the hyphen is needed only for the particles "something", "-either", "something", and "as if" is not included in this list.

— Imagine "how" and "as if" as two separate elements, like a person's first name and last name — they don't merge.

— Use a mnemonic: "As if I forgot the hyphen at home" — this will help to associate the separate spelling with the absence of a sign.

Examples of usage with "as if"

To better understand the application, let's look at specific cases. Here are some illustrations of the correct use of "as if" in sentences.:

• He behaved as if nothing had happened ("as if" is a conjunction, since it can be replaced with "as if", so we put a comma)

• She seemed offended by the joke. ("as if" is a particle, adds uncertainty, without a comma)

• It was raining as if the sky had burst. ("as if" is a conjunction, we put a comma)

• The child seemed to be asleep, but was actually eavesdropping. ("as if" is a particle, you can omit it without losing the essence)

Tests: spelling and comma setting

Below are five questions to test your knowledge of spelling "as if".

1. How is the expression spelled correctly?
   a) As if
   b) As if
   c) How will it be
   d) As if

2. Choose a sentence with the correct spelling:
   a) He acted as if he didn't know anything.
   b) She was smiling as if she was happy.
   c) Everything happened as if in a dream.
   d) They seemed to be talking about the weather.

3. In which case is "as if" written together?
   a) When it is an introductory expression.
   b) When it is a comparative phrase.
   c) It is never written together.
   d) When it is a union.

4. Insert the correct spelling:
   "Her look was like, ___ she understood everything."
   a) as if
   b) as if
   c) how will it be
   d) as if

5. Specify the correct option:
   "They were walking down the street, ___ nothing happened"
   a) as if
   b) as if
   c) how will it be
   d) as if

The second test will help to consolidate the knowledge of punctuation marks.

1. In which sentence is the comma placed before "as if" correctly?
   a) He looked at me as if I was to blame.
   b) He looked at me as if I was to blame.
   c) He looked at me as if I was to blame.
   d) He looked at me as if I was to blame.

2. Do I need to put a comma before "as if" in a sentence?:
   "She acted like nothing had happened."
   a) Yes, a comma is needed.
   b) No, you don't need a comma.
   c) A comma is placed only after "as if".
   d) A comma is placed both before and after "as if".

3. Choose a sentence with correct punctuation.:
   a) Everything seems to be frozen in time.
   b) Everything seems to be frozen in time.
   c) Everything seems to be frozen in time.
   d) Everything seems to be frozen in time.

4. In which case is there no comma before "as if"?
   a) When "as if" is an introductory expression.
   b) When "as if" is included in the comparative turnover.
   c) When "as if" is a conjunction.
   d) When "as if" is used as a particle.

5. Specify the correct punctuation.:
   "Her words sounded ___ she knew all the secrets of the world."
   a) as if,
   b) as if,
   c) as if
   d) as if