Why does English use past tenses to talk about the present?

Gramatyka · B2

Wish, if only, it’s time, would rather

After wish, if only, it’s time and would rather, English uses a past form to mark something as unreal rather than as past. I wish I had more time is about now. It’s time we left is about now. The past tense here signals distance from reality, not distance in time.

English uses the past tense for two quite different jobs: real past time, and unreality. After certain expressions, only the second job is in play.

For a present situation you want to be different, use the past simple: I wish I knew, if only he were here.

For a past situation you regret, go one step further back into the past perfect: I wish I had called her, if only we had left earlier.

For someone else’s behaviour that irritates you, use would: I wish you would stop doing that. You cannot use would about yourself in this pattern.

It’s time and would rather follow the same logic: it’s time we left, I’d rather you didn’t.

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I wish I more time to look at it properly.

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Wish, if only, it’s time, would rather — FluentLab