Spot the error and choose the correct sentence.

He talks as if he is the King.

He talks as if he were the King

The correct answer is Option (2) - He talks as if he were the King

Reason:

The verb “were” is used (instead of “was” or “is”) in subjunctive mood, which expresses an imaginary or hypothetical situation — something contrary to fact.
Here, the speaker means he is not actually the king, but he talks in a way as if he were one.

Explanation of other options:

1. He talks like a King → Incorrect
   This changes the meaning. “Like a King” is a simile showing manner or style, not a hypothetical comparison.

2. A King talks like him → Incorrect
   This reverses the comparison; it means real kings talk like he does, which is not the intended sense.

3. He is talking in a Kingly way → Incorrect
   Grammatically correct, but the meaning is again descriptive, not hypothetical. It only tells us about his manner of speaking.

 Therefore, the error in the original sentence (“He talks as if he is the King”) is the use of “is” instead of “were.”