Past verb forms referring to the present

Being polite or less direct

We sometimes use a past verb form to talk about present time, in order to be more polite or less direct:

I thought you might like to know that Linda has been promoted.

We were hoping you’d stay for dinner.

Would you give these to Richard, please? (more polite/less direct than Will you give these to Richard, please?)

Conditional and hypothetical structures with if, what if, wish and supposing often use past forms with a present meaning:

If James was here now, he’d know what to do.

What if we left now instead of later, would we avoid the rush-hour traffic?

I wish I had more time. I could stay and help you.

Supposing you were married. Where would you be living now, here or somewhere else?

Sometimes we use past verb forms to refer to things which were true or which happened in the past, even when they are still true now:

A:
That woman at the party last nightwasRussian.

B:
I thought so.

He went for an interview for the airforce the other day but he didn’t get in because his eyesight wasn’t good enough.

We use the expression it’s time … to refer to the present moment with a past verb form:

It’s eleven-thirty. It’s timeIwent to bed.

Not: It’s time I go to bed.