I'd rather and It's time somebody did something
I'd rather and It's time

These expressions are also followed by an unreal past. The verb is in the past tense, but the situation is in the present. When we want to talk about a course of action we would prefer someone else to take, we use I'd rather [someone else] + past tense:

[1] I'd rather you went.
[2] He'd rather you called the police.
[3] I'd rather you didn't hunt elephants.

NOTE: stress can be important in these sentences, to show what our preference is:

I'd rather you went = not me.
I'd rather you went = don't stay.
He'd rather you called the police = he doesn't want to.
He'd rather you called the police = not the ambulance service.

Similarly, when we want to say that now is a suitable moment to do something, either for ourselves or for someone else, we use it's time + past tense:

[1] It's (high) time I went.
[2] It's time you paid that bill.
[3] Don't you think it's time you had a haircut?
Category: Problem Points | Added by: Teacher_Koce (2015-12-09)
Views: 1471 | Tags: It's Time, I'd rather
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