High time

[Tdol]

;-)

 

[RonBee]

It's high time that Ron went to bed.
It's high time that Ron stopped staying up so late responding to posts.

:wink:

 

[Tdol]

But it's wrong to say 'It's high time to go', whereas we can say 'It's time to go'. ;-)

 

[RonBee]

But it's wrong to say 'It's high time to go', whereas we can say 'It's time to go'. ;-)

I think you're right. It would be correct usage if people said "it's high time to", but they don't.

English Idioms
https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1697

Brief Verse (Couplets)
https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1579

Prepositions
http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/grammar/main/prep.htm:)

 

[Tdol]

It's tested as an error in some exams here, like the Cambridge Advanced (CAE). ;-)

 

[ion Joe]

Dear teachers, what does "high time" mean?
Thanks!

 

[RonBee]

Dear teachers, what does "high time" mean?
Thanks!

Good question! People say it is high time that something happen when it is something they think should happen and happen soon. Example:

• It is high time that Ron got off his butt and got a real job.

:wink:

 

[ion Joe]

Dear teachers, what does "high time" mean?
Thanks!

Good question! People say it is high time that something happen when it is something they think should happen and happen soon. Example:

• It is high time that Ron got off his butt and got a real job.

:wink:

Thank you, RonBee!

 

[Casiopea]

But it's wrong to say 'It's high time to go', whereas we can say 'It's time to go'. ;-)

EX: It's high time to go. (Not OK)

I agree. To me, it seems as if the meaning expressed by the infinitive (i.e. to...) is clashing with that of the noun high time:

The infinitive marker to expresses an unrealized event. That is, the event hasn't yet happened, so tense is not required.

The noun high time means, overdue time. That is, the event, as tdol noted, should have already happened, so tense is required.

Unrealized (yet to happen)
It's time to go.
It's almost time to go.
It's nearly time to go.

Realized (should have already happened)
It's high time we left.

Expressions of realized time and unrealized time
It's high time to go. (Not OK; high time expresses past time, whereas to go expresses a non-time.)

All the best,

 

[ion Joe]

But it's wrong to say 'It's high time to go', whereas we can say 'It's time to go'. ;-)

EX: It's high time to go. (Not OK)

I agree. To me, it seems as if the meaning expressed by the infinitive (i.e. to...) is clashing with that of the noun high time:

The infinitive marker to expresses an unrealized event. That is, the event hasn't yet happened, so tense is not required.

The noun high time means, overdue time. That is, the event, as tdol noted, should have already happened, so tense is required.

Unrealized (yet to happen)
It's time to go.
It's almost time to go.
It's nearly time to go.

Realized (should have already happened)
It's high time we left.

Expressions of realized time and unrealized time
It's high time to go. (Not OK; high time expresses past time, whereas to go expresses a non-time.)

All the best,

I c!! Thank you, teacher Casiopea!!

 

[Casiopea]

I c!! Thank you, teacher Casiopea!!

You're welcome.

Try, I see. :wink:

 

[Andy]

I like to group this thus:

"It's time" followed by the past subjunctive indicates that the speaker thinks that the action should have already happened;

"It's about time" is more emphatic; and

"It's high time" is more emphatic again.

I think that "it's time and "it's about time" can also be followed by "to" and the infinitive, but "it's high time can't.

At the moment my Venn diagram doesn't contain preparatory phrases, In an effort to keep things simple, I've held off from putting them in before except in some of the links, but apart from the dummy "it", "here" or "there", they are essentially verbs followed by other verbs. Perhaps I should include them.

http://www.geocities.com/endipatterson/Catenative.html

 

[bradaman]

Dear teachers, what does "high time" mean?
Thanks!

Does "hight time" mean the same that "about time"?

 

[RonBee]

Does "hight time" mean the same that "about time"?

Pretty much, although as noted earlier, high time is perhaps more emphatic.

(Say: "Does high time mean the same as about time?")

 

[bradaman]

Thanks from Argentina

 

[Mad-ox]

It's high time we went to read.
It's high time we would go to read.
It was high time we had gone to read.

so a can not see any infinitive form!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Teia]

Hi Teachers

I understand that the phrase "it`s time" can be followed by a verb in infinitive, past tense simple or past perfect simple.
"It`s high time" can be followed by a verb in the past tense simple. Can this phrase be followed by a verb in the past perfect tense simple?

e.g. It`s high time I had done my homework
or
It`s time I had done my homework

Thank you very much

Regards,

 

[RonBee]

It's high time we went to read.
It's high time we would go to read.
It was high time we had gone to read.

so a can not see any infinitive form!!!!!!!!!!

As has been established, the infinitive form is not used after high time. (Try: "It's (It is) high time that we started reading.")

Cordially,
RonBee

 

[RonBee]

It`s high time I had done my homework No.
or
It`s time I had done my homework No.

It's high time that I started doing my homework. OK.

 

[Teia]

It`s high time I had done my homework No.
or
It`s time I had done my homework No.

It's high time that I started doing my homework. OK.

Hi RonBee

Thank you very much for clarifying that.