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AS IF, AS THOUGH
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y y y y y y y

clauses hypothesis past perfect present unreal IF

Clauses that start with as if/as though express doubt or uncertainty if they are followed by an unreal tense. Otherwise, they express that the statement is true or might be true.
He looks as if he knows the answer. (= He seems to know the answer, and he probably does.) He looks as if he knew the answer. (= He seems to know the answer, but he doesn't.)

In the past tense both sentences will read as follows. Mind that knew in the second sentence does not change into had known.
He looked as if he knew the answer.

The meaning of this sentence, therefore, can only be deduced from the context. If we talk about a hypothetical past situation, the past perfect tense is used.
You seem as if you hadn t slept for three days. (= You seem not to have slept for three days, but I know you have.) He grinned as though he d been drinking for hours.

http://www.eslmonster.com/article/as-ifas-though-past-subjunctive One of the uses of the past subjunctive is after as if/ as though to indicate unreality or improbability or doubt in the present. He behaves as if she was the boss here. (But she isn't the boss or we don't know whether she is the boss or not.)

He talks as though he knew who Jane was. (But he doesn't know or we don't know whether he knows or not.)

He looks at me as if I were guilty. (But I am not guilty.)

There is no difference between as if and as though.

The verb preceding as if / thoughcan be put to a past tense without changing the tense of the subjunctive: He talks/talked as though he knew who Jane was.

After as if / thoughwe use a past perfect when referring to a real or imaginary action in the past: He talks about Rome as though he had been there himself. (But he hasn't or probably hasn't or we don't know whether he has or not.) Again, the verb preceding as if / thoughcan be put into a past tense without changing the tense of the subjunctive: Her eyes look/looked as if she had been crying.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/grammar/learnit /learnitv136.shtml Learning English

though / as though / like

Tamas from Hungary writes: I'm a bit confused about using the word though. It's often used at the end of a sentence. For example: y The house isn't very nice. I like the garden though.

Can you help me out and explain the usage of this word? Roger Woodham replies: 'though' as conjunction We normally think of though as a conjunction introducing a contrastive statement, and as the less formal and less forceful equivalent of although and even though. Compare the following: y y y Even though it was suffocatingly hot, she was wearing a thick woollen sweater. Although she was very fond of him, she had no intention of marrying him. We could try to phone her before we go, though we might miss the train if we do.

'though' as adverb But in your example, Tamas, though is used as an adverb as the less formal equivalent of however. We use though and however when we want to add a comment that seems to contradict or contrasts with what has already been said. As in your own example, Tamas, though often indicates an afterthought. Compare the following: y y I performed so well at interview I thought I would get the job. However, it was not to be. The economic outlook is not very good. However, I can assure you that nobody will lose his job. Im sorry, I cant stay for lunch. Ill have a coffee, though. What a lovely sunny day! ~ Theres a chilly wind, though, isnt there?

y y

as though / as if / like Like though, as though and as if are subordinating conjunctions. We use as if or as though when we want to give an explanation for something which may not be correct: y y y She looked at me as if / as though I were mad. Take an umbrella. It looks as if / as though its going to rain. I cant understand why shes so keen on him. Its not as if / as though hes good-looking or anything.

In spoken informal English, particularly American English, we sometimes substitute like for as if and as though: y y She looked at me like I was stupid. It looks like its gonna rain.

Strictly speaking, like, meaning similar to, is a preposition which can only be followed by a pronoun, noun or noun phrase. So, if you want to be grammatically correct, make sure you use like in this way: y y y Like all good curries, it was served with fresh coriander and nan bread. Like me, she refuses to work after six o clock in the evening. On the phone you sound just like your mother. In fact, I always think it is your mother.

http://www.perfectyourenglish.com/usage/as-if.htm

As if and as though mean the same. They are used to say what a situation seems like.
y It looks as if/as though it is going to rain.

Tenses

To show that a comparison is unreal, we use a past tense with a present meaning after as if/as though.
y y She looks as if/as though she is rich. (Perhaps she is rich.) She looks as if/as though she was rich. (She is not rich.)

In a formal style, were can be used instead of was to show that a comparison is unreal.
y She looks as if she were rich.

Note that we do not use a past perfect for a past unreal comparison.
y She looked as if she was rich, but she wasnt. (NOT as if she had been rich.

In an informal style, like is often used instead of as if/as though. This is common in American English.
y It looks like it is going to rain.