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Micca Posted 9 years ago
Grammar

Past simple in present simple sentence

I have seen this sentence:

"I think it is time the children went to bed now."

Why is past simple strangely inserted into a present simple sentence? What does it mean? And how is it possible to write it like that?


Thanks for the answers.

  

Top answer

"it is time (that)" is a special expression in English. It takes the same tenses as an if -clause in a second conditional. CJ

— CalifJim

  • "it is time (that)" is a special expression in English.
  • It takes the same tenses as an if -clause in a second conditional.
  • CJ
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1 Answers
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"it is time (that)" is a special expression in English. It takes the same tenses as an if-clause in a second conditional.

CJ

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