It was as if he was messing around with him.
Is there an alternative for that sentence so the "double was" can be removed? I believe that it is grammatically correct, but it just doesn't flow well.
Learn English – Replacement for “It was as if he was”
subjunctive-moodword-choice
Best Answer
Well, John, the second was should actually be were, so that solves your problem.
From Wikipedia (emphasis mine): The past subjunctive form may be used similarly to express counterfactual conditions after suppose, as if, as though, unless, etc.
Suppose that I were there now. She looks as though she were going to kill him.
As if works just like as though in the second example. Problem solved.