Here's why:
* Subordinating conjunctions connect a dependent clause (which cannot stand alone) to an independent clause (which can stand alone).
* "As if" introduces a dependent clause that expresses a comparison or similarity.
Example:
* Independent clause: She walked with a slow, deliberate pace.
* Dependent clause: As if she were carrying a fragile treasure.
The dependent clause "as if she were carrying a fragile treasure" cannot stand alone as a sentence, but it is connected to the independent clause by the subordinating conjunction "as if."
Other examples of "as if" in sentences:
* He looked at me as if I had grown two heads.
* The room was quiet as if everyone had vanished.
* She treated him as if he were a stranger.