0

Could you please help me understand why the verb "face" is used in the past, in the following sentence, not in the present although the first part of the sentence is describing a future situation?

The sentence is : "You’re never going to run in the Olympics. It’s time you faced (up to) the facts."

Appreciate you help.

Ahmed Elazaly
  • 1
  • 1

2 Answers2

1

  • Common usage in English after: It's time [that] [etc.]

  • It's time he left for work. It's time you went to bed**.

  • It's time we shut up. [ha ha, invariable]

  • It's time Little Johnny did his homework.

  • What pattern emerges?

The pattern is that the phrase is commonly followed by a second clause (a relative clause) but not really a protasis (dependent clause), as what comes after the phrase can stand on it own and is comprised of a subject + simple past + [the rest of the clause].

So, returning to the question:

  • It's [high] time he faced up to something.

It follows the pattern perfectly. And there is no subjunctive heffalump in sight.

(I am sure there are more go-getting grammarians who might want to give this a go. :))

And without pursuing this too far, it is worth mentioning that other dummy-type phrases such as: It's silly, It's funny, It's nonsense, also are followed by a simple past in the second clause.

  • It's silly [that] he insisted on that.
  • It's nonsense [that] he left us in the dark.
  • It's tragic[that] they went on that hike.

That brings us to the fact that a dummy subject followed by adjectives in the predicate or even some nouns can follow this pattern.

Lambie
  • 14,826
  • It's silly he insisted on that; it's nonsense he left us in the dark; it's tragic they went on that hike, are all set in the past, so it's no surprise that they use (not used) the past tense. If they were about the present, you'd say it's silly that he's frightened of bluebirds; it's nonsense he wants to buy a Maserati; it's tragic he's still working in the coal mine. – Peter Shor Jun 04 '21 at 17:47
  • @PeterShor Sure, but would you really use the present tel quel after those final examples I gave? It's silly he insists on [unless habitual, which is odd.]; It's nonsense he leaves us, It's tragic he goes on? The simple present is quite awkward there without considerable effort or re-arrangement. I said, also: can follow this pattern. – Lambie Jun 04 '21 at 17:55
  • Of course not, because in English we use the present continuous tense in English rather than the simple present for these things. You say I'm going to the store and not I go to the store. So for your sentences, to talk about a present event you'd say It's nonsense that he's leaving us in the dark, for example. But we wouldn't say It's high time he's facing up to the facts, because in hypothetical situations, it's time takes the irrealis heffalump and not the indicative woozle. – Peter Shor Jun 04 '21 at 19:20
  • @PeterShor Exactly. – Lambie Jun 04 '21 at 19:24
0

It’s time you face[d] (up to) the facts. = It’s time {that you face[d] (up to) the facts.}

{that you face[d] (up to) the facts.} is a relative clause modifying "time" adjectivally.

The tense and voice of the verb in relative clauses are independent of the tense and voice in main clauses. The tense and voice are used to accurately convey the speaker's exact meaning of the noun in question.

That said, I agree with user121863 - the verb following "It is (high) time" is in the subjunctive as it expresses a hypothetical state in which the subject might have already "faced up to something" (and advises him to adopt that state).

Greybeard
  • 41,737
  • "it expresses a hypothetical state" makes sense. Thanks – Ahmed Elazaly Aug 08 '20 at 11:24
  • @AhmedElazaly I see no sensible semantic interpretation for the phrase expressing a hypothetical state. As I mention in more detail in a comment under the question, it's more of an imperative than a hypothetical. There's nothing hypothetical about telling somebody they should "get real." – Jason Bassford Aug 09 '20 at 14:29
  • @jsw29 That's a "no true Scotsmen" type of fallacy. You are justifying the categorization on the assumption that the idiomatic phrase is not actually ungrammatical. But many idioms are ungrammatical, yet still quite understandable. – Jason Bassford Aug 09 '20 at 14:30
  • @Jason Bassford If an idiom is of the 'non-standard grammar' type, it is extragrammatical rather than ungrammatical. Idioms are accepted usages. – Edwin Ashworth Sep 07 '20 at 13:23
  • @jsw29 The 'mandative subjunctive' uses face, not 'faced'. I demand that he face the consequences. // The King insisted that he face the consequences. – Edwin Ashworth Sep 07 '20 at 13:26
  • It's interesting. You also say "It's time that he went home" or "It's time that he was off" or "It's time he left", which seems to indicate completion more strongly than the alternative "It's time for him to be going home"/"It's time for him to leave". I presume the past tense is to emphasise completion. "It's time to face the facts" means you should start considering the facts, not that you should have already come to terms with them. – Stuart F May 05 '21 at 15:17