It’s high time, would rather, as if / as though

Three C1 constructions use past tense form for present meaning — and in each, careful AmE writing preserves the were-subjunctive instead of was. This is one of the subtler residues of the English subjunctive system, and one of the cleanest markers of educated written register.

• It’s high time we left. (we should leave now — but it’s overdue)
• I’d rather we stayed in. (preference for present/future action)
• He looks as if he were drunk. (hypothetical comparison)

Why past form for present meaning? Because English grammar uses distancing into the past to signal non-actuality — counterfactuality, hypothetical reference, polite request. The past tense isn’t literally past; it’s psychologically distant from the actual present. This is the same principle that powers second and third conditionals (If I had time…) and the wish + past construction (I wish I knew).

At C1, mastering these three constructions — and the were-subjunctive that they trigger — is the difference between fluent C1 English and Hollywood-script C1 English.

It’s (high/about) time — past form for overdue present action

The pattern: it’s time / it’s high time / it’s about time + S + past simple.

Despite the past tense, the meaning is present — and urgent: this should be happening now, but isn’t.

Form and examples

• It’s time we left. (= we should leave now; we’re already overdue)
• It’s high time you found a real job. (= overdue, with mild reproach)
• It’s about time he apologized. (= long overdue)
• It’s high time the city addressed the housing crisis. (= overdue, urgent)
• It’s time someone took responsibility.

The phrase high time intensifies the overdue-ness; about time has a slightly impatient/exasperated tone (often after waiting); time alone is neutral.

Why past tense?

The past tense signals the action has not happened, contrary to expectation/desire. It’s the same logic as in I wish I knew — past form, present meaning, counterfactual.

It’s time we leave. (technically possible but rare in careful AmE — sounds like a question/command) It’s time we left. (standard — meaning “we should have left already / let’s go”)

Alternative: it’s time to V / it’s time for sb to V

These shorter forms work for general advice or when the agent is implicit:

• It’s time to leave. (general)
• It’s time for us to leave. (with agent in for-phrase)
• It’s high time to act.

But for specific agent + overdue urgency, the S + past form is the more vivid and idiomatic choice.

Would rather — preference

Would rather is the everyday preference construction. It has two main patterns, with importantly different structures.

Pattern 1: would rather + bare V — same-subject preference

When the speaker expresses their own preference, would rather takes the bare infinitive.

• I’d rather stay in tonight. (= I prefer staying in)
• She’d rather take the bus. (= she prefers the bus)
• We’d rather not discuss that. (= we prefer not to discuss it)
• I’d rather have coffee than tea. (= I prefer coffee)

For comparison, would rather… than… sets up a preference between two options:

• I’d rather walk than take the subway.
• She’d rather read than watch TV.
• He’d rather quit than be fired.

Pattern 2: would rather + S + past — different-subject preference

When the speaker’s preference is about someone else’s action, the form shifts: would rather + S + past simple.

• I’d rather you didn’t smoke in the apartment. (preference about you)
• He’d rather we left by noon. (preference about us)
• She’d rather her son didn’t drop out of college. (preference about her son)
• I’d rather they came at six instead of seven. (preference about they)

The past tense here is the subjunctive-style distancing: the preference is a hypothetical about another agent’s action.

Distinguishing the two patterns

Would rather + past perfect — counterfactual past preference

For preferences about what has already happened (and you wish had been different):

• I’d rather you hadn’t told him. (= I wish you hadn’t told him)
• She’d rather we hadn’t gone that route. (= she wishes we hadn’t)
• He’d rather they had asked first. (= he wishes they had)

This is the past-counterfactual extension of Pattern 2.

Had rather / had better

Had better (often ‘d better) is a different construction with similar form — it expresses strong advice with implicit warning.

• You’d better leave before he gets back. (warning advice)
• We’d better hurry. (urgent advice)
• You’d better not tell anyone. (warning + negative advice)

Despite the had form, had better refers to the present/future. The form is fixed: had better + bare V.

As if / as though — hypothetical comparison

The pattern as if / as though + S + past simple introduces a hypothetical comparison — describing how something seems by comparing it to a hypothetical situation.

Form and examples

• He talks as if he knew everything. (he doesn’t actually know everything — hypothetical)
• She looked as though she had seen a ghost. (she hadn’t — hypothetical)
• They behave as if they owned the place. (they don’t — hypothetical)
• He spoke as if he were in charge. (he wasn’t — were-subjunctive)

Indicative vs subjunctive after as if / as though

The distinction is subtle but real.

• He looks as if he is sick. (he might genuinely be sick — speculation)
• He looks as if he were sick. (he’s pretending; he isn’t actually sick — careful AmE)

In modern AmE, the indicative-after-as-if is by far the dominant form regardless of counterfactuality; the were-subjunctive in as if he were sick now sounds quite literary or carefully formal. In careful written AmE, were still marks counterfactuality; in casual speech, indicative (often with was) is dominant for both readings. Treat the indicative as unmarked, the subjunctive as a deliberate register choice.

Common patterns in writing

• She acted as if nothing had happened. (past perfect — counterfactual past)
• The bridge swayed as if it might collapse. (modal — possibility)
• He stared as if he were trying to memorize her face. (subjunctive — present hypothetical)

As if! and like in casual AmE

In casual AmE, as if! is an exclamation meaning no way / certainly not:

• — Did you ask him out?
• — As if! (no way I would do that)

This is an Americanism with 1990s roots (“Clueless” era). Recognizable C1 register.

The casual AmE substitute for as if is like:

• He talks like he knows everything. (casual = as if he knew)
• She looked like she’d seen a ghost. (casual)

This is widespread in conversation. In formal writing, prefer as if/as though.

The were-subjunctive in counterfactuals

Were (instead of was) appears after if, wish, as if/as though, suppose, imagine, and what if in counterfactual (contrary to fact) sentences.

After if — second conditional

• If I were you, I’d take the offer. (NOT was in formal writing)
• If he were here, this wouldn’t be happening.
• If she were a man, she’d be promoted by now.
• If it were up to me, the policy would change tomorrow.

In casual AmE speech, If I was you is extremely common. In formal writing — academic, journalistic, business memos — preserve were. The phrase If I were you is sometimes treated as a fixed expression and almost always uses were even in casual speech.

After wish

• I wish I were taller.
• She wishes she were still in college.
• I wish it were Friday.

After as if / as though / like (in formal contexts)

• He looked at me as if I were insane.
• She acted as though it were normal to skip lunch.

After suppose, imagine, what if

• Suppose he were to refuse — what would we do?
• Imagine if it were true.
• What if he were lying?

Was vs were — the dialect divide

In modern AmE, were in counterfactuals is a marker of careful, formal register. Use it in academic essays, formal letters, professional writing. In texts and casual emails, was is fine.

Combining all three with were-subjunctive

A single sentence can deploy multiple distancing-into-past constructions:

I’d rather he behaved as if he were taking this seriously.

It’s high time we addressed the issue as if it were a real crisis.

She wishes he would act as though he were committed to the project.

These layered constructions are the texture of careful argumentative writing.

AmE notes

The were-subjunctive is significantly more preserved in formal AmE than in formal BrE counterfactuals… actually wait — both dialects preserve it in formal writing. The fact: in casual conversation, AmE speakers use was in counterfactuals more than BrE speakers. In formal writing, both dialects use were. The C1 rule: use were in writing.

The fixed expression If I were you in AmE is almost always were, even in casual speech: If I were you, I’d take the job. This is the high-water mark of subjunctive preservation in everyday AmE.

Specifically AmE patterns:

• I’d rather not + V — the most common casual phrasing: I’d rather not talk about it.
• About time you… — exasperated AmE: About time you called!
• As if I would — emphatic denial: Steal his lunch? As if I would.
• Had better in workplace advice: You’d better get that report in before five.

The would rather + S + past pattern is somewhat dated-feeling in casual AmE but fully alive in writing and careful speech: I’d rather you didn’t smoke in here sounds polite-formal; many speakers would say I’d prefer it if you didn’t smoke in here in casual contexts.

Pronunciation notes

• Would rather contracts heavily: /d ræðər/ in I’d rather, she’d rather, we’d rather. The contraction is near-universal in speech.
• Had better also contracts: /d bɛtər/. In very casual speech, the ‘d can drop entirely: You better leave (vs You’d better leave).
• It’s high time has a fixed prosody: It’s HIGH time. The high takes the heaviest stress.
• As if typically reduces as to /əz/: /əz ɪf/. The /f/ in if sometimes blends into the following word: as if it → /əz ɪf ɪt/ → /əzɪfɪt/.
• Were as subjunctive doesn’t change pronunciation — it’s still /wɝː/ or /wɝ/. The marker is the word choice, not the sound.

Common Russian-speaker mistakes

1. Present tense after it’s high time: It’s high time we leave → It’s high time we left. The past form is required.
2. Confusing would rather patterns: I’d rather you to leave / I’d rather you leave (wrong forms) → I’d rather you left. Different-subject preference uses past, not infinitive.
3. Using was in formal if I were you: If I was you, I’d quit → If I were you, I’d quit. Even in casual AmE, this phrase resists was.
4. Indicative after counterfactual as if: She looked as if she was about to cry (acceptable casual) / She looked as if she were about to cry (preferred formal). For hypothetical/counterfactual, use were.
5. Wrong tense in would rather past counterfactual: I’d rather you didn’t tell him yesterday → I’d rather you hadn’t told him yesterday. Past counterfactual needs past perfect.
6. Calquing Russian уже пора with present tense: It’s already time we go (sounds like a hint) → It’s high time we went. English requires past form for the urgency.
7. Using would prefer construction wrong: I’d prefer you left (this works but feels formal) → I’d rather you left. / I’d prefer it if you left. The prefer version takes if + past or to V.
8. Forgetting had in had better: You better leave (casual but not standard formal) → You’d better leave / You had better leave in writing.

Summary

• It’s (high/about) time + S + past simple — overdue present action; past form, present meaning.
• Would rather + bare V (same subject); would rather + S + past (different subject); would rather + S + past perfect (counterfactual past).
• As if / as though + past or were-subjunctive — hypothetical comparison; were in formal writing.
• Were-subjunctive preserved in formal writing after if, wish, as if/as though, suppose, what if; If I were you is fixed across all registers.
• The unifying principle: past tense form = non-actuality marker, the same logic as second conditional and wish.
• AmE casual speech relaxes were → was in many counterfactuals; formal writing preserves were.
• Had better = strong advice with implicit warning; would rather = preference.

Next lesson: Articles — fine points at C1 — generic vs specific (the lion vs lions), the with adjectives as nouns (the rich, the poor, the homeless), zero article with unique nouns, and the idiomatic the/zero distinctions.