Subjunctive?

Question

Hi, why is the simple past form of the verb 'to go' used in a phrase below?

I've only come out for a minute though. It's time I went home.

I'd rather say it's time I go home or it's time I should go home - is this correct? What's the difference between the phrases? Thank you.

Ozzourti · Accepted Answer

I can't explain it in terms of grammar, but this structure requires that you use the past simple form of a verb. I wouldn't call it "subjunctive", but "unreal past":

It's time I went...
It's time I was...

If you want to use the infinitive form of a verb, you could say something like:

It's time for me to go...

Anonymous · Answer

Well, thanks, I see how it should be, but I still can't understand the reason... Does this only apply to that specific structure? Could you please provide some more examples?

Should this small modification eliminate the past simple form:

Now it is necessary for me to go...
Now it is necessary that I went...???

Ozzourti · Answer

If it is "subjunctive" (I'm not a grammar expert), then it is slightly different from other subjunctive constructions, such as "I wish" for example. I would happily say "I wish I were" but I have serious doubts when it comes to "it's time I were" - that just doesn't seem nice at all even in formal writing. I would always say and write "it's time I was".

Now it is necessary for me to go... is correct

Now it is necessary that I went...??? is not, it would have to be Now it is necessary that I go...

You are always best off using "it's time" with the past form of a verb; it's time (that) I go..., it's time I should go... might be considered perfectly acceptable by some but at the same time frowned upon by others.

Cool Breeze · Answer

ozzourtiIf it is "subjunctive" (I'm not a grammar expert), then it is slightly different from other subjunctive constructions, such as "I wish" for example. I would happily say "I wish I were" but I have serious doubts when it comes to "it's time I were" - that just doesn't seem nice at all even in formal writing.

Right you are, ozzourti![Y] These idioms have often taken hundreds of years to develop and in many cases people who used them had no knowledge of English grammar. It would be a little unfair to demand grammatical labels from them, or logic in use - especially since they have been dead for a long time.

Many grammarians use the term preterit / preterite to mean the same as past tense, and I think it would be a good term here. Unlike past tense, it lacks any reference to the past even though in most cases the meaning and usage are exactly the same.

CB

Anonymous · Answer

ozzourtiIf it is "subjunctive" (I'm not a grammar expert), then it is slightly different from other subjunctive constructions, such as "I wish" for example. I would happily say "I wish I were" but I have serious doubts when it comes to "it's time I were" - that just doesn't seem nice at all even in formal writing. I would always say and write "it's time I was".

Now it is necessary for me to go... is correct
Now it is necessary that I went...??? is not, it would have to be Now it is necessary that I go...

You are always best off using "it's time" with the past form of a verb; it's time (that) I go..., it's time I should go... might be considered perfectly acceptable by some but at the same time frowned upon by others.

Actually, whether it is subjunctive or not is not that important to me, I used the term subjunctive just because I can understand its grammatical meaning, so I hoped it would be a bit easier for me to understand the phrase and to correctly use the tense/mood (whatever it be) in other phrases.

Now I see that the phrase with ‘went’ may be rather unique (are there any other grammatically similar phrases?) or just slightly different in meaning from the phrases with the ‘classical’ subjunctive (I go; I should go: http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/verbs-subjunctive.htm ) or infinitive.

Are the phrases it’s time I went and it’s time for me to go absolutely equivalent? Can the first phrase be a bit less categorical? Or perhaps it may depend on the context (for example, I should go home but I’m not going to / I can stay here a bit longer or something like that)?

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousHi, why is the simple past form of the verb 'to go' used in a phrase below?

I've only come out for a minute though. It's time I went home.

I'd rather say it's time I go home or it's time I should go home - is this correct? What's the difference between the phrases?

It's time and It's high time are very typically followed by a clause in the past tense, though you will hear the present as well. It's just an oddity about those time phrases.

I don't think we can say it's subjunctive because was is preferred to were if the clause has the verb to be.

It's time he was in bed.
___________

It's time I went home is something like I should probably go home now in meaning.
It's not the same as It's time for me to go home, which is more literal -- something like It is now the time that was previously arranged as my going-home time.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Ok, now I see, thank you!

Subjunctive?

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions