The Unreal Past: It's Time, Would Rather, As If and More

English often uses a past form to step away from reality. Compare I know the answer (real) with I wish I knew the answer (I don't know it). The verb knew is past in form, but the time is now. This use is called the unreal past, or sometimes the past of distance.

The rule is simple: move one tense back from the time you mean. For an unreal present or future, use the past simple or past continuous. For an unreal past, use the past perfect. You already know this pattern from the second conditional (If I had a car, I'd drive) and the third conditional (If I had had a car, I'd have driven).

With be, formal English often uses were for all persons (If I were, I wish it were). Was is common in informal speech. See the subjunctive for more on were.

Use wish and if only + past simple for present situations you want to be different: I wish I had more free time. If only it wasn't raining. If only is stronger and more emotional.

Use wish + past perfect for regrets about the past: I wish I hadn't eaten so much. Use wish + would to complain about someone's behaviour or to say you want a change you cannot control: I wish you would stop interrupting. I wish it would stop raining. We do not say I wish I would, because we can control our own actions.

Use wish + could for abilities: I wish I could speak Arabic. For the full B1 guide, see wish and if only.

It's time + subject + past simple means something should be happening now, and is perhaps already late: It's time we went home. The past form adds a feeling of criticism or urgency. It's high time and It's about time make this feeling stronger: It's high time you found a job.

Compare It's time to go, which is a neutral statement with no special subject. For one person, It's time for me to go is also neutral.

Do not use the past perfect after it's time, and do not use a present form after a subject: say It's time we left, not It's time we leave.

Would rather (and the less common would sooner) expresses preference. The form depends on the subject.

When the subject is the same person, use the base form: I'd rather stay in tonight. I'd rather not talk about it.

When you want someone else to do something, use would rather + another subject + past simple for the present or future: I'd rather you stayed in tonight. I'd rather he didn't come. For the past, use the past perfect: I'd rather you hadn't told them.

This is a polite, indirect way of asking people to do or not do things. I'd rather you didn't is a gentle but clear no. Compare prefer, which works differently: I'd prefer you to stay, or I'd prefer it if you stayed. For more polite forms, see polite requests in English.

After as if and as though, use a present form when the situation is probably true and a past form when it is unreal: She looks as if she is tired (she probably is). He talks as if he knew everything (he doesn't). Use the past perfect for an earlier unreal event: You look as if you had seen a ghost. In informal speech, people often use like instead: He acts like he owns the place.

Suppose, supposing, imagine and what if introduce imagined situations. With a present form the situation is a real possibility; with a past form it is more hypothetical: What if it rains? (a practical worry) What if you won the lottery? (an imagined situation). With the past perfect, you imagine a different past: Suppose you hadn't met her.

For how unreal past and unreal present can mix, see mixed conditionals.

A related use of the past is for distance in polite requests and questions. The past form makes a request softer and less direct, even though it is about now: I wondered if you could help me. I was hoping you might lend me your car. Did you want a coffee?

These sentences are not about the past. The past form simply makes them sound less demanding, which is especially useful with people you don't know well, in shops and at work. This is not usually called the unreal past, but it works on the same idea: a past form puts some distance between you and the situation.

The unreal past is very common in conversation, often in short fixed phrases: I wish I knew. If only! I'd rather not. I'd rather you didn't. It's about time! What if...? You will also hear it in complaints and gentle criticism, because it lets you say what should happen without a direct order.

When you hear a past form, ask yourself: is this really past time? If the sentence is about now or the future, the past form is probably signalling something unreal, wanted or polite. For the basics behind this system, see the second conditional.