[Grammar] It's time I told you the truth.

[andi harper]

Hi. I'm wondering which verb tense should be used in a sentence structure like this:
It's time I told you the truth.
It's time I tell you the truth.
I hear both.

 

[Tarheel]

"It is" is present tense. That is the verb tense being used.

 

[kilroy65]

The first sentence sounds absolutely natural, unlike the second one.

You can say "it's time to do something" in specific contexts.

 

[GoesStation]

It's time I told you the truth is the usual choice. It's definitely an odd construction, but for some reason we use the simple past after the present here even though the truth-telling is going to happen in the near future.

 

[emsr2d2]

It's the same construction we use in things like "It's time I went home" when it is time to leave a party.

 

[andi harper]

It's time I told you the truth is the usual choice. It's definitely an odd construction, but for some reason we use the simple past after the present here even though the truth-telling is going to happen in the near future.

Yes, I'm more inclined to It's time I told you the truth because that's what I was taught to use but I keep hearing the use of a present tense verb in such sentences, so I was wondering if it was (I mean the present tense verb) some kind of spoken and not the grammatically correct way of using it?

 

[Rover_KE]

Stick to the form you know to be correct.

 

[andi harper]

Stick to the form you know to be correct.

I will, I just want to know if there is any difference in meaning implied with the use of either one of them.

 

[Tarheel]

I am sure that the two expressions mean the same thing.

 

[TheParser]

I just want to know if there is any difference in meaning implied with the use of either one of them.

NOT A TEACHER


Hello, Andi Harper:

A few years ago, I found some helpful advice, which I am delighted to share with you.


This source claims that the choice of tense depends on "[h]ow fully the speaker expects the action to happen."

Please study the source's two examples:

1. "It's high time we send him a letter."

a. If there's a real intention to send that letter now that the reminder has been issued, then the verb is present.

2. "It's high time we sent him a letter."

a. If the speaker has some doubt that we'll ever get around to sending the letter after all, then the verb is past.

b. The source also feels that there is a sense of regret that we haven't already done it.


Credit: The Grammar Logs #471 [a question and answer grammar website].