pattern · neutral
it's time + past simple (it's time you + past simple) / it's time to + V
'it's time + past simple' suggests someone should do something now (often a mild criticism or urgency); 'it's time to + infinitive' simply states that the appropriate time to do something has arrived
Examples
“It's time we talked about your plans for after graduation.”
“It's time to start revising for the exam.”
“It's time you got some sleep — you've been studying too hard.”
Band 8 sentence
“It's time the university updated its curriculum to reflect current industry standards.”
Collocations
- it's time to + V (it's time to leave)
- it's time (that) + past (it's time you cleaned your room)
Word family
Common mistakes
It's time to you went to bed.→It's time you went to bed.
It's time we to start the project.→It's time we started the project.
Say it for a higher band
5it's time to + V→6it's time you + to + V (wrong but common)→7+it's time + past simple / it's time to + V
Synonyms
it's about time + past
Easily confused
it's about time + past
“It's about time you apologised.”
Related words
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In Gerunds & infinitives
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