Quote:
Originally Posted by Snusmumrik  Hallo, I would be very appreciated if you could help me and explain why shoud we use verbs in such constructions in this way
- It is high time that you HAD grown up. this is wrong use of the past perfect aspect with the phrase It's high time, I think.
- Isn’t it time you STOPPED playing?
I don't understand this construction (Neither do I) |
It's high time you were to grow up. means you behave as a child even though you are an adult.
It's time you stopped playing.
In these two sentences the past subjunctives (were, stopped) have been used.
There are two forms
present subjunctive takes form of the bare infinitive of the verb (without sufix
s in the third person) and
past subjunctive takes form of the simple past (there are some exceptions with the verb to be, usually
were is used instead of
was to emphasis unreality)
In BrE the present subjunctive is used to express a wish, hope, supernatural powers etc
the past subjunctive is used to indicate unreality
He behaves as though he were the owner of the lake.
Also with the well known phrase
It's (high) time
It's (high) time you listened to me!
etc..
The given examples 1-7, solved out by Teia, looked like to me such as AmE use of subjunctive mood. Anyway I am confused about 1 to 7.