PE-87: The Unreal Past: It's time, would rather, as if
More places where English uses a past tense for something that isn't past — it's time you went, I'd rather you stayed, he acts as if he knew.
PE-87: The Unreal Past: It's time, would rather, as if
You met the idea in PE-54 and PE-57: English signals unreality by stepping one tense backwards. If I had a car… · I wish I knew… Now meet three more structures that do exactly the same thing — and once you notice the pattern, all of them stop feeling strange.
In this lesson you will learn
- It's time + past tense
- would rather — two different structures
- as if / as though for unreal comparisons
- Why they all use a past form for a present idea
1. It's time…
Two forms, two shades of meaning. With to + verb it is neutral; with a past tense it adds a note of criticism — "this should have happened already".
It's time to… — neutral
- It's time to go.
- It's time for us to leave.
It's time + past — slight criticism
- It's time you went home.
- It's high time she found a job.
It's time you started revising — the exam is next week!
Takrorlashni boshlashing kerak edi — imtihon kelasi haftada!
The verb is past, but the meaning is now: you have not started yet, and you should have.
It's high time makes the criticism stronger still.
2. would rather — two structures
The trap here is that would rather behaves differently depending on who does the action.
| Who acts | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| I do it | would rather + base verb | I'd rather stay at home. |
| Somebody else does it | would rather + past tense | I'd rather you stayed at home. |
| Negative (me) | would rather not + verb | I'd rather not talk about it. |
| Negative (them) | would rather + didn't | I'd rather you didn't smoke. |
I'd rather walk than take a taxi. — I'd rather you didn't tell anybody.
Taksi olgandan koʻra piyoda ketganim maʼqul. — Hech kimga aytmaganingizni xohlardim.
Note than for the comparison, and no to after rather.
3. as if / as though
Use these to compare with something imaginary. If the comparison is unreal, the verb steps back into the past.
He talks as if he knew everything. (he doesn't) — She looks as though she had seen a ghost. (she hasn't)
U hammasini bilgandek gapiradi. — U arvoh koʻrgandek qarayapti.
But if the comparison might be true, an ordinary present tense is used:
It looks as if it's going to rain. (it probably is)
Yomgʻir yogʻadiganga oʻxshaydi.
4. The pattern in one place
1Second conditional
If I had money… (PE-54)
2wish / if only
I wish I knew. (PE-57)
3It's time
It's time you left.
4would rather / as if
I'd rather you stayed. He acts as if he owned it.
Four structures, one idea: a past form marks something that is not real.
5. Common mistakes
It's time you go home.
It's time you went home. / It's time to go home.
I'd rather to stay here.
I'd rather stay here.
I'd rather you don't come late.
I'd rather you didn't come late.
I'd rather walk that take the bus.
I'd rather walk than take the bus.
He speaks as if he is a professor. (he isn't)
He speaks as if he were a professor.
Practice
1 Complete: It's time you ? (start) doing your homework.
Show answer
started — past form for a present situation, with a note of "you should have already".
2 Complete: I'd rather ? (not go) out tonight.
Show answer
not go — when I am the one acting, the base verb follows, and not comes before it.
3 Refuse politely: Your friend wants to borrow your new phone.
Show answer
I'd rather you didn't, if you don't mind.
Far gentler than No or Don't.
4 Choose: He behaves as if he ? (be) the boss. (he isn't)
Show answer
were — the comparison is unreal, so the verb steps back, and were is used for all persons.
5 What is the difference? (a) It's time to leave. (b) It's time you left.
Show answer
(a) Neutral — we should all go now. (b) Slight criticism — you have stayed too long already.
Key words — Kalit soʻzlar
- Unreal pastshartli oʻtgan zamon
- It's high timeallaqachon vaqti boʻldi
- Would rather...ganim maʼqul
- As if / as though...gandek, goʻyo
- To behaveoʻzini tutmoq
- Criticismtaʼna, tanqid
- Neutralbetaraf
- To refuse politelymuloyim rad etmoq
- To revisetakrorlamoq
- Preferenceafzallik
🎯 Remember this
- It's time + past = it should have happened already (a little criticism).
- would rather + base verb (me) · would rather + past (somebody else).
- I'd rather you didn't — the politest refusal in English.
- as if + past = not true · as if + present = probably true.
- One idea behind all of them: a past form marks unreality.