Oliver looked ___ he was going to hit the culprit.a) asb) likec) like ifd) as though

To select the correct option to complete the sentence "Oliver looked ___ he was going to hit the culprit," we need to consider the grammatical structure and the meaning we want to convey.

1. Option a: as - This choice is incorrect in this context because "as" does not fit well to express an appearance followed by a clause.
2. Option b: like - This could work colloquially, but it is not grammatically formal in standard English; "like" typically requires a noun or pronoun rather than a clause directly after it.
3. Option c: like if - This is not standard English and does not make sense in this context.
4. Option d: as though - This option fits well, as "as though" is used to introduce a subordinate clause indicating a situation or a condition that is likely or imagined.

Final Answer

The most appropriate choice is d) as though. So, the completed sentence would read: "Oliver looked as though he was going to hit the culprit."