[Grammar] It's time (subjunctive)

[SW LEE]

I was wondering if there is any difference of meaning between 'It's time that you went to bed', 'It's time that you (should) go to bed' and 'It's time for you to go to bed'.

Are they used in the same situations with no difference ?

Thank you..

 

[MikeNewYork]

They all have the same meaning.

 

[Matthew Wai]

'It's time that you went to bed'

Is it the subjunctive?

 

[MikeNewYork]

In my opinion, no.

 

[Matthew Wai]

In this post on another forum, the teacher seemed to mean that 'went' was the past subjunctive in 'It's time you went to bed'.
Have I misunderstood his/her meaning?

 

[Rover_KE]

SW LEE, 'It's time that you (should) go to bed' is completely unnatural for me — with or without 'should'.

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello, SW Lee:


Here is some interesting information from one expert:


1. It's time (for someone) to do something: "It's time (for us) to go to bed."

2. It's time someone did something: "It's time the children were / went to bed."

-- Grammar in Use / Reference and Practice for Intermediate Students of English (1990 printing) by Raymond Murphy.

Mr. Murphy says that the structure used in sentence #2 is especially used when "we are complaining or criticizing, or when we think someone should have already done something" (my emphases). He adds that we can make it even stronger by adding "high." His example: "It's high time someone did something."

*****

Based on Mr. Murphy's book and other sources, I have made up these dialogues, which I think are accurate:

Mother: It's 7:30 p.m. It's time for you to go to bed. I want to make sure that you get 8 hours of sleep.
Mona: OK, Mama. Good night.
Mother: Sweet dreams, darling.


Father (enters his son's room): Haven't you gone to bed yet?
James: Does it look like I'm in bed?
Father: Don't talk back to me! It's almost midnight. It's (high) time that you went to bed, young man! Now turn off that computer this minute!

 

[MikeNewYork]

No, just a different opinion.

 

[Duke of Normandy]

Ladies, Sirs I bid you a good morning,


I am no English yet I learned that in English as well as in Latin, German and French, mostly the three common tongues English provided its grammar with if I am right, there is the necessity of sequencing tenses so the sentence "it's time [...] you went to bed" sounds uncorrect. Maybe would it be more proper to say "it was time you went to bed", then.

I know the following sentences to be correct for I read them before in some English literature books :

"It was a time you should have gone to bed to."

"It was time for you to go to bed."

"Surely you should go to bed in short a time."

Problem is I have not the titles in mind at the moment. I believe to be in one of Lady Austen's works but I am not quite sure. Allow me to check it and I will come back to you as soon as I put my hand back on the excerpt.

Hopefully this was of use to you..

I wish you all the best still, and hope you are doing fine.

Regards,

Kevin-Yvart Frappart.

 

[Barb_D]

Kevin, I'm afraid you are incorrect. English is a Germanic language, and it does not get its grammar from Latin.
When moderators and teachers say something is correct, you can trust that it's correct. (We are quick to correct each other when we make mistakes.)

"It's time you went to bed" is entirely grammatical.

 

[Rover_KE]

Additionally, Kevin, "It was a time you should have gone to bed to" and "Surely you should go to bed in short a time" are entirely ungrammatical, whichever English literature books you read them in.

(Jane Austen was never called 'Lady Austen'.)

 

[Matthew Wai]

'It's about time our team won.'── quoted from the Longman Dictionary.
Does it suggest that the team actually did not win?
Not a teacher.

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes.

 

[TheParser]

[No disclaimer, for this is a question, not an answer.]


Dear Rover,

I am a terrible reader, so I am probably wrong (I usually am!), but I need clarification regarding your answer to Matthew Wai.

Mr. Wai asked whether "It's about time our team won" implies that our team lost. You answered that it did.

Is it possible that it could also mean -- in the right context -- that our team, in fact, won?

Mona: Have you heard the great news? Our team won!

James: So what!

Mona: Why aren't you excited?

James: It's about time our team won, don't you think? We have poured millions into signing up the best players and even building a stadium for them. Yet they have consistently lost every game for the last two years. They have finally won a game. Well, it's about time!


Thank you,


James

 

[emsr2d2]

Situation 1

The team I support is called "Eastbourne United". Last night, they played a match against "Horsham City". Unfortunately Eastbourne United lost the match 2-1. I might say to my friend "I can't believe we lost last night. It's about time we won. Oh well, maybe next week".

Situation 2:

The team I support is called "Eastbourne United". Last night, they played a match against "Horsham City". It was a great night because Eastbourne United won the match 2-1. I might say to my friend "Woo hoo! We won last night". My friend might answer "Great. It's about time we won!"

As always, context is key. The same five words could be used in both situations and those situations have very different outcomes.

 

[Matthew Wai]

If the match is still ongoing and team I is at a disadvantage, i.e. it has a slim chance of winning, may I say 'It's about time our team won'?

 

[MikeNewYork]

Yes, win or lose, a fan can always say that.