Changing Tenses

Share on Facebook

Grammarian-bot

#329814 Fri, 16 Feb 07 04:16 AM

Recently I saw an ad of a multinationl company "Telenor". There was a sentenec that they repeat two or theree times in that 30 sec ad.

"It's time you moved to the best".

Is it gramatically correct to jump from simple present to simple past? If so, then what difference does it make to keep the sentence in the simple present. "It's time you move to the best".

GB

Grammarian-bot

Joined on Sun, May 7 2006

PAKISTAN

Full Member (439)

The best way to learn is to learn from your mistakes.

CalifJim

#329824 Fri, 16 Feb 07 05:28 AM

It is correct. The words It's time are a bit special in English.

It's time can take the past tense with present meaning. Surprise [:O]

CalifJim

Joined on Mon, Aug 2 2004

California

Veteran Member (16,931)

"There are no facts, only interpretations" - Nietzsche

Grammarian-bot

#329825 Fri, 16 Feb 07 05:38 AM

Can you please put some extra light on this issue. I don't get it. Is "it's time" a simple past in its special meaning? What other such expressions exist and what does they are called? Also, what is the actaul meaining of "It's time you moved to the best"? Is this sentense as a whole be treated as a simple past?
What is the difference in meaning in thissentence and it's simple present counterpart?

GB

Grammarian-bot

Simple present, Tenses, Expressions, Simple past

milky

#329827 Fri, 16 Feb 07 05:48 AM

Grammarian-bot wrote:
Recently I saw an ad of a multinationl company "Telenor". There was a sentenec that they repeat two or theree times in that 30 sec ad.

"It's time you moved to the best".

Is it gramatically correct to jump from simple present to simple past? If so, then what difference does it make to keep the sentence in the simple present. "It's time you move to the best".

GB

English is full of expressions in which the past tense is used not to indicate time, but for expressing the status of social relationships and/or possibility likelihood. Your sentence is one such example of using the past simple in such a way.

It's time to leave. (Direct. Not, normally, a suggestion. A fact.)

It's time we left. (Indirect. Often a suggestion.)

...

milky

Joined on Thu, Jan 15 2004

Senior Member (3,149)

Hume said that if we had perfect or complete descriptive knowledge of reality, we could not, by reasoning, derive a single valid "ought".

Simple present, Tenses, Expressions, Simple past, Past tenses, Past simple

CalifJim

#329835 Fri, 16 Feb 07 06:17 AM

Is "it's time" a simple past in its special meaning?

No. It's simple present. The verb that follows (moved) is present in meaning even though it is past in form.

... meaining of "It's time you moved to the best"? Is this senten[ c ]e as a whole [to] be treated as a simple past?

No. It is to be treated as a simple present, just like "It's time for you to move to the best".

What is the difference in meaning in thissentence and ~~it's~~ its simple present counterpart?

There is no difference.

What other such expressions exist and what ~~does they are~~ are they called?

The only other one I can think of is wish. I wish you were here is a typical example. [It means I wish for you to be here (now) although it's not said that way.] I don't know of any special name for the expressions It's time and wish.

CJ

CalifJim

Simple present, Verbs, Expressions, Simple past

Yoong Liat

#329902 Fri, 16 Feb 07 01:51 PM

Grammarian-bot wrote:
Recently I saw an ad of a multinationl company "Telenor". There was a sentenec that they repeat two or theree times in that 30 sec ad.

"It's time you moved to the best".

GB

According to what I've read, 'It's time you did something, (in your example, moved) you should have done it much earlier, but you haven't done so. That, according to the grammarian, is why a simple past tense verb is needed.

Another grammarian states that you haven't moved when you should have done so. Hence a past tense verb is required. I think this explanation is similar to "If I were you ...". We use 'were' because you cannot be me. So, to reiterate, you haven't moved. It has not happened. Therefore, a verb in the simple past tense is needed.

I hope the above helps you to understand the usage.

Yoong Liat

Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006

Singapore

Veteran Member (5,989)

Yoong Liat

Verbs, Tenses, Simple past, Past tenses

Grammarian-bot

#330170 Sat, 17 Feb 07 03:24 AM

CalifJim wrote:
I don't know of any special name for the expressions It's time and wish.
CJ

Well I did some work on the internet and got some useful links. You said that you don't know any specific name for the expression but I've found one. Please verify is it correct or not. It's called Unreal Past. Now from the text that I read on the internet, I infer that it's the same as subjunctive mood. Following is the link. Read it, if you want to and then please answer my questions.
http://www.english4today.com/oeg/pcontent/IF10.cfm

This is my take on this article. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Now what I understand from this article is that we can use the unreal past by using the simple past and past perfect.
Simple Past is used when we are talking about something in the present and past perfect is used when we are talking about something in the past. Therefore, for present situation we should say "I wish I had more money" and for past situation, we should say "I wish I had had more money". And the same stands true for "I'd rather" and "It's time".

Are these rules of simple present and simple past used in the subjunctive mood. Is teher any difference between subjunctive mood mood and unreal past? Both refer to a hypothetical situation.

Please can you explain the use of I'd rather. I can't replace it with it's implied expression. I mean when someone says "I'd rather you went", so does he mean that "I suggest you go".

GB

Grammarian-bot

Articles, Simple present, Difference between, Past perfect, Expressions, Simple past, Subjunctives

CalifJim

#330200 Sat, 17 Feb 07 06:08 AM

Yes. You can call what follows It's time an unreal past or a past subjunctive. (But that's not what It's time is called. I don't know if that has a name -- unless you call it "an expression that triggers the use of the unreal past"!)

Your take on the article is completely correct. Smile [:)]

Is there any difference between subjunctive mood mood and unreal past?

I imagine there are grammarians who will argue that there is something different about them, but I would say they are the same.

would rather means prefer. It's as simple as that!

I'd rather you came in through the back door with those dirty shoes. (I prefer that you come in ...)
Would you rather the students signed the petition today or would you rather they waited until tomorrow? (Do you prefer that the students sign ... or that they wait ...?)
We'd rather they paid as soon as possible. (We prefer that they pay as soon as possible.)

CJ

CalifJim

Articles, Difference between, Expressions, Subjunctives

Grammarian-bot

#330208 Sat, 17 Feb 07 06:38 AM

Thanks CJ.
GB

Grammarian-bot