It's time you go to bed/ It's time you went to bed.

[optimistic pessimist]

Dear all,

1. It's time you go to bed.
2. It's time you went to bed.

I would like to ask which is used more often in real communication. I often see #2 in grammar textbooks, but not #1.

Thank you!

OP

 

[Barb_D]

I use the past formation, especially when you qualify "time."

It's about time you went to bed, don't you think?

 

[anhnha]

I use the past formation, especially when you qualify "time."

It's about time you went to bed, don't you think?

Could you give me more explanation about this?
Why you don't choose one of the following sentences?
1. It's time you go to bed.
2. It's time you should go to bed.
3. It's time to go to bed.
And can you clarify why we use the past tense in the sentence?

 

[Chicken Sandwich]

You may appreciate the following entry form Practical English Usage, p. 286.

306 it's time
1 followed by infinitive
It's time (or it is time) can be followed by an infinitive.
It's time to buy a new car.
To say who should do something, we use for + object + infinitive (see 291).
It's time for her to go to bed.
2 followed by past tense with present meaning
It's time can also be followed by a subject with a past tense verb. The meaning
is present.
It's time she went to bed. It's time you washed those trousers.
I'm getting tired. It's time we went home.
The expression It's high time ... is often used in this structure in British
English, to say that something is urgent.
It's high time you got a job.

On p. xxviii:

Don't say/write:
[STRIKE]
It's time they go home.[/STRIKE]

Say/write:

It's time they went home.