1. A past form expressing a present need
In the familiar British English teaching pattern It’s time + subject + past simple, the speaker evaluates the present moment: a particular action should happen now. Left or started does not, by itself, report a completed past event in this construction.
Compare the construction and situation, not just the verbs. We left reports a departure; It’s time we left signals that we should depart now. In the exercises here, the context makes clear which action is still needed.
It’s time + subject + past simple → an action is needed now
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
The room is ready. It's time we started the meeting.
The room is ready. It's time we started the meeting.
Started refers to the beginning being called for now, not to a meeting that has already taken place.
We started the meeting at nine yesterday.
We started the meeting at nine yesterday.
Without It’s time and with yesterday, this is an ordinary report of a past event.
2. Building the sentence
After It’s time, name the person or group who should act, then use a past form: I called, you took, the team agreed. Regular verbs often take -ed; irregular verbs need their own past form: take → took, write → wrote, go → went.
You can add that between time and the subject: It’s time that we talked. It is and It’s mean the same thing; the full form may suit more restrained writing. Here we practise the past simple pattern without making blanket claims about other forms used after time in different varieties of English.
It is / It’s + (high / about) time + (that) + subject + past simple form
- subject / S —
- The grammatical subject: who or what the clause is about; the verb agrees with it. In The book was written, the book is the subject, although someone else does the action.
It's time the manager wrote a clear reply.
It's time the manager wrote a clear reply.
Wrote is the past form of write. Written on its own cannot form the finite verb here.
It is about time that we reviewed the agreement.
It is about time that we reviewed the agreement.
That is allowed, and reviewed refers to the review that is needed now.
3. Time—or long overdue?
It’s time can simply signal a move to the next action, or it can suggest that the action has been delayed. The expression does not require strong irritation.
High time and about time strengthen the judgement: the action should have happened earlier. They do not specify exactly how many minutes or years overdue it is. Both can sound impatient, especially when referring to someone else’s responsibilities.
Everyone has arrived. It's time we began.
Everyone has arrived. It's time we began.
A natural transition to beginning, without necessarily expressing criticism.
The lift has been broken for weeks. It's high time the owner fixed it.
The lift has been broken for weeks. It's high time the owner fixed it.
The long wait explains the stronger judgement conveyed by high time.
It's about time we replaced these worn chairs.
It's about time we replaced these worn chairs.
About time describes an overdue change here, not an approximate clock time.
4. Other correct ways to say it is time
It’s time to + base form is a correct infinitive construction. It often concerns the speaker and listener together. It’s time for + person or group + to + base form explicitly identifies who should act: for us, for the driver.
High time and about time can also occur with for somebody to do something. Such sentences are not grammatically incorrect. If an exercise specifically asks for a subject + past simple pattern, an infinitive version simply does not meet that practice requirement.
Do not mix parts of the two patterns. To requires the base form, while a pronoun after for takes its object form: us, him, her or them.
It's time to close the shop.
It's time to close the shop.
To close is a correct infinitive, not a past simple form.
It's time for us to close the shop.
It's time for us to close the shop.
For us explicitly identifies who should act. This is another correct construction.
It's high time for the council to act.
It's high time for the council to act.
The intensifier high does not make the for … to construction incorrect.
5. When it is time to stop doing something
To call for an unwanted activity to end, use stopped + -ing: It’s time we stopped arguing. The clause is affirmative in form, but the desired change is to stop.
Changing the negation changes the intention. We stopped and we didn’t stop are not interchangeable: the second denies that we stopped. Do not insert didn’t simply because the intended meaning involves no longer doing something.
It's time we stopped sending duplicate messages.
It's time we stopped sending duplicate messages.
The change needed is an end to duplication, so use stopped sending.
We didn't stop sending messages yesterday.
We didn't stop sending messages yesterday.
This reports past behaviour; it does not call for a change now.
6. About time! after an event
The standalone response About time! can react to something that has finally happened. The expression therefore does not always mean the action is still incomplete.
Distinguish It’s about time they repaired the door, said while the door is still broken, from About time! in response to news that the repair is complete. The context tells you what has already happened. Similarly, It’s about time that … can sometimes comment on an event that has just finally occurred. Do not turn the lesson’s main pattern into a universal restriction on time reference.
A: They've finally repaired the door. B: About time!
A: They've finally repaired the door. B: About time!
The repair is already complete; the response comments on how overdue it was.
The door still won't close. It's about time they repaired it.
The door still won't close. It's about time they repaired it.
The repair is still needed here. Repaired does not mean it has already been done.
7. Choose the tone and describe the action needed now
Saying It’s high time you … to a colleague can sound critical. We often includes the speaker in a shared responsibility, but does not guarantee politeness by itself. For a neutral transition, It’s time is usually enough; reserve the stronger judgement for a real delay.
The action may prepare for a future event: if the train leaves in two hours, packing is already needed now. This does not prohibit references to the future; it distinguishes the future event from the present need to act.
Start with one complete sentence describing the change needed. Add a short reason if useful. In open practice, you can invent situations, and natural paraphrases do not have to match a sample answer word for word.
Our train leaves in two hours. It's time we packed our bags.
Our train leaves in two hours. It's time we packed our bags.
Departure is later; packing is needed now.
We've discussed the same issue three times. It's high time we made a decision.
We've discussed the same issue three times. It's high time we made a decision.
The speaker includes themselves in we, and the repeated discussion explains the impatience.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:It's high time we taked a break.
Correct:It's high time we took a break.
Take has the irregular past form took, not taked. The break is needed now.
Incorrect:It's time she written a reply.
Correct:It's time she wrote a reply.
The target clause needs the finite past form wrote. Written is a participle and cannot serve as its verb on its own.
Incorrect:It's time to went home.
Correct:It's time to go home.
In this correct alternative pattern, to is followed by the base form go, not went.
Incorrect:It's time for we to leave.
Correct:It's time for us to leave.
In the for … to construction, the pronoun after for takes the object form us.