Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the Past Simple after 'It's time' to show that something is overdue and needs to happen right now.
- Use Past Simple for present urgency: 'It's time we left' means we should leave now.
- Add 'about' or 'high' for extra emphasis: 'It's high time you apologized.'
- Don't use 'will' or present tense: 'It's time we go' is technically incorrect in this specific structure.
Overview
It’s time we went という構文は、文法的には過去形を使用していますが、意味するところは「今すぐ〜すべきだ」「もう〜する時間だ」という現在から未来にかけての緊急性や催促です。なぜ現在のことなのに過去形を使うのか？これは日本語には存在しない「仮定法」や「非現実の過去（unreal past）」という概念が深く関わっています。日本語では「そろそろ行こうか」と意志や勧誘で表現するところを、英語ではあえて時制をずらすことで、客観的な事実ではなく「本来あるべき姿」というニュアンスを醸し出します。この構文を使いこなすことは、単なる文法知識を超え、ネイティブスピーカーが持つ「状況をコントロールする」という感覚を身につけることと同義です。ビジネスの現場での会議終了の合図や、友人との待ち合わせで少し急かしたい時など、この表現を使えるだけであなたの英語は一段と洗練されたものになります。unreal past（非現実の過去）と呼びます。日本語の文法には「時制」と「法」をこれほど厳密に結びつける仕組みはなく、日本語では助動詞や語尾のニュアンスで調整します。例えば It’s time we went は、「今すぐ行くべきだ」という強い提案を含みますが、直説的に You must go と言うよりも角が立ちません。これは、過去形を使うことで「現実の行動」と「理想の行動」の間にあえて隙間を作り、相手に考える余地や婉曲的な圧力を与えるからです。It’s time の最大の違いは、英語が「誰がその動作を行うか」という主語を明確にし、さらにその動作を「本来ならもう行われているはずの完了した事象」として時制で表現する点にあります。日本語の「そろそろ会議を終わらせましょう」という表現は、話し手の意志が中心ですが、英語の It’s time we finished the meeting は、「会議が終わっているべき時間（理想）」と「まだ続いている現実」の対比を強調します。この「現実とのギャップ」こそが、この構文が持つ緊急性の正体です。日本語では「〜するべき」という義務感で表現しますが、英語ではこの構文を使うことで、より洗練された「状況判断としての提案」が可能になります。It’s time + 主語 + 過去形動詞 | It’s time we left. (もう出る時間だ) |It’s high time + 主語 + 過去形動詞 | It’s high time you started. (もう始めるべき時間だ) |It’s time + for + 目的語 + to不定詞 | It’s time for us to go. (私たちが行く時間だ) |It’s high time と high を加えることで、「とっくに〜しているべきだったのに、まだしていない」という、より強い批判や焦燥感を含んだニュアンスになります。It’s time だけであれば単なる提案ですが、high time になると「遅すぎるくらいだ」という感情が乗ります。日本語の「いい加減に〜してよ！」というニュアンスに近いです。It’s time we wrapped up this discussion と言えば、丁寧ながらも「これ以上議論しても無駄だ、結論を出そう」という強い意志を伝えることができます。また、友人との旅行で出発の準備が遅れている時、It’s time we got going と言えば、相手を責めすぎることなく「急ごう」という合図を送れます。日本語の「そろそろ行こうか」という曖昧な表現とは異なり、英語のこの構文は「今この瞬間にアクションを起こすこと」を強く定義します。また、就活の面接やビジネスの交渉の場でも、議論の舵を切るための「切り出し」として非常に有効です。相手に命令するのではなく、「状況がそう求めている」という客観的な視点を装うことで、リーダーシップを示すことができるのです。- 1現在形を使ってしまう (L1干渉): 日本語話者は「今すぐ行く」という現在志向の文脈から、
It’s time we goと言いがちです。しかし、英語では現在形を使うと「（習慣として）行く時間だ」という意味になり、緊急性が消滅します。過去形を使うことで「現実から離れた理想」を表現するという英語特有のロジックを理解しましょう。 - 2不定詞と過去形を混同する:
It’s time for us wentのように、forを使った後に過去形を持ってくる間違いもよく見られます。for + 目的語の後は必ずto不定詞です。これは日本語の「〜する時間」という名詞節を作る感覚と混同しやすいためです。 - 3主語を省略してしまう: 日本語は主語を省略するのが自然ですが、
It’s time wentとすると誰が行くのか不明瞭になり、文法的に成立しません。英語ではIt’s time we...と主語を明示することで、誰がその行動の責任者であるかを明確にする必要があります。
It’s time we left | 提案・催促（過去形） | そろそろ出るべきだ |It’s time to leave | 一般的な動作の必要性 | 出る時間だ |It’s about time we left | 待ちわびた感 | やっと出る時間だ |It’s time to leave は動作そのものに焦点を当てますが、It’s time we left は「私たちが」という主体を組み込むことで、より個人的な提案の色彩が強まります。about time を加えると、「遅すぎた」という感情がより強調され、日本語の「やっとかよ」というニュアンスに近づきます。It’s time he goes と言ったら間違いですか？went を使います。現在形を使うと、単なるスケジュール（例：彼はいつもその時間に行く）という事実の記述になってしまいます。It’s time の代わりに It’s high time を使うと何が変わりますか？It’s time we went が「過去」ではなく「現在」を表すのですか？Structure of 'It's Time' with Unreal Past
| Introductory Phrase | Subject | Verb Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
It's time
|
we
|
Past Simple
|
It's time we left.
|
|
It's about time
|
you
|
Past Simple
|
It's about time you called.
|
|
It's high time
|
they
|
Past Simple
|
It's high time they paid.
|
|
It's time
|
she
|
Past Simple (Negative)
|
It's time she didn't cry.
|
|
It's time
|
I
|
Past Simple (Be)
|
It's time I was going.
|
Contractions and Variations
| Full Form | Contraction | Usage Note |
|---|---|---|
|
It is time
|
It's time
|
Standard spoken form
|
|
It is high time
|
It's high time
|
Adds strong emphasis
|
|
It is about time
|
It's about time
|
Adds informal urgency
|
Meanings
A structure used to express that something should have happened already, or that it is the very last moment to do something. It conveys a sense of urgency, mild criticism, or a strong suggestion.
Standard Urgency
Expressing that the appropriate time for an action has arrived or passed.
“It's time we started the meeting.”
“It's time you found a job.”
Emphatic Criticism
Using 'high' or 'about' to show frustration that an action is long overdue.
“It's high time you cleaned your room!”
“It's about time we had some good news.”
Hypothetical/Reflective
Reflecting on a state that should be different than it currently is.
“It's time things changed around here.”
“It's time we weren't so dependent on technology.”
Reference Table
| 構文 | 意味 | 例 |
|---|---|---|
|
It's time + 主語 + 単純過去形
|
中立的、穏やかな提案、ほのかな緊急性
|
`It's time we left.`
|
|
It's high time + 主語 + 単純過去形
|
より強い緊急性、必要性を強調、しばしば苛立ちを伴う
|
`It's high time you started studying.`
|
|
It's about time + 主語 + 単純過去形
|
遅延を暗示、軽い苛立ち、またはようやく何かが起こる安堵感
|
`It's about time they fixed that bug.`
|
|
It's time + for + 目的語 + to不定詞
|
一般的な緊急性、個人的なニュアンスが少ない、しばしばスケジュールを示す
|
`It's time for lunch.`
|
|
It's time + to不定詞
|
行動への一般的な呼びかけ、'for + 目的語'より非形式的
|
`It's time to go.`
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
It is high time that we departed. (Leaving a location)
It's time we went. (Leaving a location)
It's about time we got going. (Leaving a location)
About time we bounced! (Leaving a location)
「非現実の過去」ファミリー
現在／未来の緊急性
- It's time we went It's time + Subject + Simple Past
- It's high time... より強い緊急性
- It's about time... 遅れている／苛立ち
仮説的な状況
- If I were you Second Conditional
- I wish I knew Wish for present
後悔／過去の仮説
- If I had known Third Conditional
- I wish I had gone Wish for past
「It's Time」のバリエーション：ニュアンス比較チャート
「It's Time」表現の選び方
今すぐ行動が必要なことを表現したいですか？
緊急性は一般的ですか、それとも特定の主語を含みますか？
余分な強調や苛立ちを示したいですか？
「It's Time We Went」を使う時
丁寧な提案
- • パーティーを後にする
- • 議論を始める
- • 次のトピックに移る
強い促し
- • 締め切りに間に合わせる
- • 重要な決定を下す
- • 問題に対処する
不満の表明
- • 何かが遅れている時
- • 誰かが遅延している時
- • 繰り返し発生する問題
行動への呼びかけ
- • 新しい方針を実行する
- • 新しい段階を始める
- • 大きな変更を行う
レベル別の例文
It is time to go to bed.
It is time to go to bed.
It's time to eat lunch.
It's time to eat lunch.
Is it time to start?
Is it time to start?
It's time for school.
It's time for school.
It's time for us to leave the party.
It's time for us to leave the party.
It's time you went home.
It's time you went home.
Is it time we had dinner?
Is it time we had dinner?
It's time to buy a new phone.
It's time to buy a new phone.
It's about time we bought a new car.
It's about time we bought a new car.
It's time you told him the truth.
It's time you told him the truth.
I think it's time we moved to a bigger house.
I think it's time we moved to a bigger house.
It's time they stopped making so much noise.
It's time they stopped making so much noise.
It's high time the company updated its security policy.
It's high time the company updated its security policy.
It's time we addressed the elephant in the room.
It's time we addressed the elephant in the room.
Don't you think it's about time you apologized?
Don't you think it's about time you apologized?
It's time we weren't so reliant on fossil fuels.
It's time we weren't so reliant on fossil fuels.
It's high time the judiciary reconsidered the sentencing guidelines.
It's high time the judiciary reconsidered the sentencing guidelines.
It's time we acknowledged that the current strategy is failing.
It's time we acknowledged that the current strategy is failing.
It is about time the public were made aware of the risks.
It is about time the public were made aware of the risks.
It's time we stopped pretending that everything is fine.
It's time we stopped pretending that everything is fine.
It is high time that the legislature took cognizance of these systemic inequities.
It is high time that the legislature took cognizance of these systemic inequities.
About time too, if you ask me!
About time too, if you ask me!
It's time the myth of meritocracy was thoroughly debunked.
It's time the myth of meritocracy was thoroughly debunked.
It's time we were heading off, lest we miss the last train.
It's time we were heading off, lest we miss the last train.
間違えやすい
Learners think they are interchangeable.
Both use the unreal past, but for different reasons.
よくある間違い
It's time we go.
It's time to go.
It's time for go.
It's time to go.
It's time we will leave.
It's time we left.
It's high time he has finished.
It's high time he finished.
It's time we go.
It's time we went.
文型パターン
It's about time ___ ___.
Don't you think it's high time ___ ___?
Real World Usage
It's high time we submitted the proposal.
About time u texted back!
It's time you brushed your teeth.
It is high time the council addressed the housing crisis.
It's about time the plane took off.
It's time we talked about our future.
「非現実の過去」を覚えよう
主語の後に現在形を使わないで
「High」や「About」で強調を加えよう
丁寧だけど直接的
Smart Tips
Use 'It's about time' + Subject + Past Simple. It shifts the focus to the 'time' rather than the person's failure.
Check if there is a person mentioned. If no person, use 'to'. If there is a person, use the past tense.
Use 'It is high time that...' to sound authoritative and passionate about a necessary change.
You can use 'were' instead of 'was' for all subjects to sound even more formal and 'subjunctive'.
発音
Stress on 'Time'
The word 'time' usually carries the primary sentence stress to highlight the urgency.
Contraction of 'It is'
In 99% of spoken cases, 'It is' is contracted to 'It's'. Using the full 'It is' sounds extremely formal or robotic.
Rising-Falling for Impatience
It's high ↗ TIME ↘ we left.
Conveys frustration or that the speaker has been waiting too long.
暗記しよう
記憶術
Past for Fast: Use the PAST tense when you want things to happen FAST (urgently).
視覚的連想
Imagine a clock with its hands spinning backward. Even though the clock looks like it's going into the past, the person standing next to it is tapping their watch impatiently because they are late for a meeting right now.
Rhyme
When the hour is late and the time has spent, don't say 'we go', say 'it's time we went'.
Story
A manager walks into a silent office at 9:15 AM. Everyone is drinking coffee but no one is working. He doesn't say 'Work!', he says, 'It's high time we *started*.' The use of the past tense 'started' makes everyone jump because it implies they should have been working 15 minutes ago.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Look at your to-do list. Pick one task you have been procrastinating on. Write a sentence using 'It's high time I...' followed by the past tense of that task.
文化メモ
British speakers use this structure frequently to be 'politely direct'. Instead of saying 'You are late', they say 'It's about time you arrived', which uses grammar to soften the blow of the criticism.
Americans use 'It's time we go' (present tense) more often than British speakers in casual speech, though 'It's time we went' is still considered the 'correct' grammatical standard in writing.
In business meetings, 'It's high time' is a power-move phrase. It signals that the speaker is taking control of a situation that has been stagnant.
This construction is a remnant of the Old English subjunctive mood, which used distinct verb endings to show that an action was desirable or hypothetical rather than factual.
会話のきっかけ
Do you think it's about time the government changed the laws on social media?
Is there a habit you have that you think it's time you gave up?
Looking at your city, what is one thing you think it's high time the mayor fixed?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
Test Yourself
It's time she ___ (realize) her true potential and went for that promotion.
Find and fix the mistake:
Our meeting is supposed to start now. It's time we discuss the budget.
Choose the correct sentence:
Score: /3
練習問題
8 exercisesIt's high time the children ___ to bed.
It's about time you ___ (start) taking your studies seriously.
Find and fix the mistake:
It's time we leave for the airport.
The government should really do something about inflation now.
1. It's time to... / 2. It's time we...
A: The sink has been leaking for a month! B: I know, it's about time I ___.
You can use 'It's time' with the present tense in formal writing.
time / high / it / is / you / a / job / found
Score: /8
Practice Bank
11 exercisesThe concert starts in 5 minutes! It's time we ___ (find) our seats.
This project has been delayed enough. It's high time we finalize the proposal.
Choose the correct sentence:
Translate into English: 'Ya es hora de que tomemos una decisión sobre esto.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the sentence halves:
The boss looks impatient; it's high time we ___ (present) our findings.
My friends are still waiting for a reply. It's time I send them an email.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: 'Es hora de que la situación cambiara.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Score: /11
よくある質問 (8)
In casual American English, you will hear this. However, in exams (IELTS/Cambridge) and formal writing, it is considered incorrect. You should use `went`.
`About time` is more common in conversation and sounds a bit more like a complaint. `High time` is more emphatic and slightly more formal.
No! It means we are still here, but we should leave immediately. It is an 'unreal' past.
Yes. `It's time I went` is very common when you realize you are late for something.
Yes, but it's rare. Example: `It's time you didn't spend so much money.` It sounds like a strong piece of advice.
It's an old idiom meaning the time is 'fully' or 'completely' arrived. Think of 'high noon'.
You can say `We should go`, but `It's time we went` is more idiomatic and carries a stronger sense that you are already late.
Yes. `It's time we were going` is a very polite way to start saying goodbye at a party.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Es hora de que + Subjunctive
English uses a past tense; Spanish uses a present subjunctive.
Il est temps que + Subjunctive
French requires the 'que' conjunction and the subjunctive mood.
Es wäre Zeit, dass... (Konjunktiv II)
German often adds 'wäre' (would be) to the 'time' part.
そろそろ...する時間だ (sorosoro... suru jikan da)
Japanese relies on adverbs rather than verb tense shifts.
حان الوقت لـ... (Hana al-waqt li...)
Arabic uses a literal 'the time has arrived' structure.
该...了 (Gāi... le)
Chinese uses modal particles instead of verb conjugation.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Learn These First
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