English Language & Usage Asked by Ahmed Elazaly on October 18, 2020
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.
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).
Answered by Greybeard on October 18, 2020
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