Question 1

Why does this sentence use the imparfait (était) instead of the conditional, since it expresses a hypothetical idea?

Accepted Answer

In French, the phrase comme si (as if) must be followed by the imparfait to describe a hypothetical situation happening at the same time as the main verb. Even though it expresses a hypothetical idea, French grammar strictly forbids using the conditional directly after si.

Question 2

The main action is in the past (a regardé). Why doesn't that force the second verb into the plus-que-parfait?

Accepted Answer

The tense after comme si depends on its relationship to the main verb, not the main verb's tense itself. Because the marquis imagining the snob as a monster happened at the exact same time he looked at him, you use the imparfait. You would only use the plus-que-parfait if the imagined state happened before the looking (for example, if he looked at him 'as if he had been a monster earlier').

Question 3

Why is it comme s'il instead of comme si il?

Accepted Answer

The word si always drops its i to form a contraction (s') when it is directly followed by il or ils. This is a mandatory rule. However, remember that si never contracts before elle or elles, so 'as if she were' would be comme si elle était.

Question 4

Is snob a masculine noun because it refers to a man here, or is it always masculine?

Accepted Answer

Here, le snob refers to a male snob, but you can also say la snob for a woman. It is an English loanword that has been fully adopted into French. It can also be used as an adjective that does not change form for gender, for example, elle est très snob (she is very snobby).

Le marquis a regardé le snob comme s'il était un monstre.

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