While I was reading a bedtime story for my kid, Peter Pan, I got a gramma question as below:
1. From 'Actually, Peter, it's time we went home. Mother and Father will be worried if they find us missing.', why this part 'it's time we went home.' the sentence are mixed, presen tense with past tense? In my idea it should be "it's time we have to go home."
2. 'Peter would've liked his guests to stay longer, but...', why is not "Peter would like his guests to stay longer,"?
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- MARYFE23March 2019
GIVE ANSWERS
nmesomtoChukwuMarch 2019 Hi! This sentence construction was used because although it referred to an action in the present (or future), it was considered as an action that should have been done earlier. Here's a link for the sentence structure: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/it-s-time 2. 'Peter would have liked his guests to stay longer...' Firstly, the writer is narrating an action (wish or desire) that happened in the past. Secondly, the sentence is in the subjunctive form. Therefore it must take a subjunctive verb form which shows that the wish or action was not realised. |
MARYFE23March 2019 nmesomtoChukwu thank you, Your explanation with the link attached made me clear with the question about 'it's time'.
For the other one, I should study more about subjunctive form.