Question 1

Why do we use the plus-que-parfait (avait goûté) here after comme si instead of the imparfait?

Accepted Answer

We use the plus-que-parfait to describe an unreal or hypothetical situation that happened before the main action. The snob criticized the wine in the past, and he acted as if he had already tasted the best bottle before making that critique. If we used the imparfait (comme s'il goûtait), it would mean he was acting as if he were tasting it at that exact moment.

Question 2

Why is it du monde instead of dans le monde for "in the world"?

Accepted Answer

After a superlative like la meilleure (the best), French always uses the preposition de (and its combined forms like du, de la, des) to express "in". So "the best bottle in the world" translates literally to "the best bottle of the world" (la meilleure bouteille du monde).

Question 3

Why is it written as comme s'il rather than comme si il?

Accepted Answer

The word si only drops its i and adds an apostrophe when it is followed by il or ils. It is a strict rule; si never elides before any other vowel, not even elle or on (you would write comme si elle).

Question 4

Why use meilleure instead of mieux for "best"?

Accepted Answer

Meilleure is the superlative form of the adjective bon (good), meaning it modifies a noun (here, la bouteille, a feminine noun). Mieux is the superlative of the adverb bien (well), which is used to modify verbs. Since we are describing a noun, we must use meilleure.

Le snob a critiqué le vin comme s'il avait goûté la meilleure bouteille du monde.

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