Unreal Past: Would Rather, It Is Time, and As If

What you’ll learn

Interpret past forms that express distance from reality.

បកស្រាយ past form ដែលបង្ហាញចម្ងាយពីការពិត។

Meaning and use

Past forms can express hypothetical distance rather than past time. Would rather + another subject + past form expresses a preference about now or the future. It is time + subject + past form suggests an action is due. As if can use a past form for an unreal comparison, or ordinary tense when the comparison is plausible.

Past form អាចបង្ហាញភាពស្រមៃ មិនមែនពេលអតីតកាល។ Would rather ជាមួយប្រធានផ្សេងប្រើ past form សម្រាប់បំណងបច្ចុប្បន្ន។ It is time + past form ប្រាប់ថាគួរធ្វើហើយ។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Preference with another subject	I would rather you stayed.
Action due / unreal comparison	It is time we left. / He acts as if he owned the place.

Examples

1. I would rather you called tomorrow.

   ខ្ញុំចង់ឱ្យអ្នកទូរស័ព្ទស្អែកជាង។

2. It is time we started the meeting.

   ដល់ពេលយើងគួរចាប់ផ្ដើមប្រជុំហើយ។

3. He talks as if he knew everything.

   គាត់និយាយហាក់ដូចជាគាត់ដឹងអ្វីទាំងអស់។

4. She looks as if she is tired.

   នាងមើលទៅដូចជាហត់។

Everyday conversation

Dara: Shall I send it tonight?

Maly: I would rather you sent it tomorrow after checking the figures.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
I would rather you to wait.	I would rather you waited.	With a different subject, use a finite past-form clause for this preference.
It is time we to leave.	It is time we left.	This pattern takes a subject and past form.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete a present preference: I would rather he ___ (stay) here.
2. Correct: It is time we go yesterday.
3. Contrast I would rather stay and I would rather you stayed.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. stayed

   The past form marks a preference, not past time.

2. It is time we went.

   The construction expresses an action now due; yesterday conflicts with that meaning.

3. The first expresses my preferred action; the second my preference for your action.

   Same-subject would rather takes a bare infinitive; a different subject takes a finite clause.

Quick recap

• Preference with another subject: I would rather you stayed.
• Action due / unreal comparison: It is time we left. / He acts as if he owned the place.