Upper-Intermediate 📐 Grammar · #161 of 305

It's Time and It's High Time

Past form for present urgency.

Examples

  • It's time we left.

Key rules

  • It is time + subject + past simple: refers to now
  • It is time to + verb: same subject
  • High time is stronger and criticises delay
  • Do not use present simple after it is time

Common mistakes

  • It is time we go → It is time we went
  • It is high time you are working → It is high time you worked
💡 Tip: The past tense does not refer to the past, it is unreal.
Practise this topic in the appPractise Upper-Intermediate quiz
← Hypothetical Meaning: Suppose, Imagine, What IfWould Rather with Past Tense →

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