it'd be great if you < came/come> back soon

M

my_serect

Member
Vietnamese
Here is the context, it's a scene in the movie "interstellar"
Her daddy is a space traveler. He went on a mission to save the world, before he left her, he promised that he would come back for her but he had no idea when he would come back so he made a joke to comfort her "when I come back we might be the same age" because he knew that the time would probably run differently for them... and after a few decades, the daughter still had been waiting for her dad and on the birthday when she reached the exact same age that her father was when he left, she sent him this message: " Today is my birthday. And it's a special one because you once told me that when you came back, we might be the same age. Well, now I'm the same age that you were when you left... and it'd be really great if you came back soon"
What I don't understand here is why "came" instead of "comes" because obviously her father hadn't come back yet at the time she said it. Can someone explain it to me please? Thanks in advance!
 
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    ain'ttranslationfun?

    Senior Member
    US English
    The clause you're asking about = "...it would be really great if you were to come back soon.", conditional ("second"), as Bobbum says; past tense in this part of the sentence with 'if+ conditional' in the other part.
     
    M

    my_serect

    Member
    Vietnamese
    Sorry for not being specific earlier. I understand that it's "came" after "if" because of the conditional's rule. But I'd like to ask about the "came" in "you once told me that when you CAME back, we might be the same age". Can I say "you once told me that when you COME back, we might be the same age" ?
     
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    A

    ain'ttranslationfun?

    Senior Member
    US English
    my_serect said:
    Sorry for not being specific earlier. I understand that it's "came" after "if" because of the conditional's rule. But I'd like to ask about the "came" in "you once told me that when you CAME back, we might be the same age". Can I say "you once told me that when you COMES back, we might be the same age" ?
    Click to expand...
    No, we cannot say "you comes" in any context or situation I can think of.
     
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