It is high time men ceased to regard women as second-class citizens.

[ambitious-girl]

It is high time men ceased to regard women as second-class citizens.

Source: For and Against (L.G.Alexander)


1) Are these two following sentences OK as well?
2) Are these sentences considered to be cleft-sentences?
3)what does the sentence above mean overall?


A) It is high time that men ceased to regard women as second-class citizens.

B) It is high time when men ceased to regard women as second-class citizens.



Thank you.

 

[jutfrank]

1) A yes, B no.
2) No.
3) The introductory phrase It is high time means approximately the time is long overdue. I interpret the sentence as expressing the idea that men regard women as second-class citizens and although this may have been tolerated in the past, there was a point in time that has long-since passed whereafter this attitude should have ceased.

 

[emsr2d2]

Are you sure the title of the book doesn't have any capital letters?

 

[ambitious-girl]

3) The introductory phrase It is high time means approximately the time is long overdue. I interpret the sentence as expressing the idea that men regard women as second-class citizens and although this may have been tolerated in the past, there was a point in time that has long-since passed whereafter this attitude should have ceased.

Thank you so much jutfrank.

Are the following interpretation correct as well?

Men should have ceased to regard women as second-class citizen earlier.

OR

The idea that men stopped regarding women as second-class citizens should have happened earlier. But, this idea happened with delays.

OR
There has been a delay in the attitude that men stop regarding women as second-class citizens.

 

[jutfrank]

Thank you so much jutfrank.

Are the following interpretation correct as well?

Men should have ceased to regard women as second-class citizen earlier.

OR

The idea that men stopped regarding women as second-class citizens should have happened earlier. But, this idea happened with delays.

OR
There has been a delay in the attitude that men stop regarding women as second-class citizens.

You're welcome.

I don't understand what you're asking. I can't sense much difference between your three interpretations. I think the first interpretation is the closest to mine. The second and third are not well-constructed so I won't comment.

There's not really a correct interpretation, anyway. I can only give you mine.

 

[ambitious-girl]

...there was a point in time that has long-since passed whereafter this attitude should have ceased.

I just gave those interpretations because I didn't understand the sentence above.