‘It’s time ….’ and ‘had better….’
Both these structures refer to the present or near future.
Had better is a recommendation.
- I’d better go = I ought to leave now or soon.
- ‘It’s time for you to go home’ and
- ‘It’s time you went home’ both mean ‘you need to go home now or very soon‘.
There is a difference between ‘it is time for you to + infinitive’ and ‘it’s time you + past tense’.
- ‘It’s time for you to go home’ refers to the present and means a time or plan has been agreed, and you need to do sth as planned.
- ‘It’s time you went home’ refers to the present, even though the verb is in the past! This use means you may have stayed longer than agreed or arranged or longer than is convenient, or that you run the risk of missing another important event if you do not leave now. There is an element of concern or warning about this second use.
‘It’s high time’ and ‘It’s about time’ may also convey some irritation or exasperation – implying that a person has been unreasonable in some way in not doing something.
- You had better do some work on this!
- It’s time to do an exercise to help you practise this rule!
- It’s time you did an exercise to help you memorise this rule!
1. [Multiple choice]
It’s time you ……… home and got a job.
Answers for Quiz [1].
- 1. leave
- 2. left (correct)
2. [Multiple choice]
You’d better ……… – you’ll miss your last bus home.
Answers for Quiz [2].
- 1. hurry (correct)
- 2. hurried
3. [Multiple choice]
It’s about time we ……….
Answers for Quiz [3].
- 1. eat.
- 2. ate. (correct)
4. [Multiple choice]
It’s high time he ……… his dissertation – he’s been writing it for months!
Answers for Quiz [4].
- 1. finish
- 2. finished (correct)
5. [Multiple choice]
He’d better not ……………… any more weight. He’s getting rather too thin, in my view.
Answers for Quiz [5].
- 1. lose (correct)
- 2. lost
6. [Multiple choice]
You’d better ……… a place to live soon.
Answers for Quiz [6].
- 1. find (correct)
- 2. found
7. [Multiple choice]
It’s time he ……… drinking so much.
(‘to drink too much’ assumes someone is drinking too much alcohol. ‘They were all out last night drinking’ means ‘drinking alcohol’ or having a social drink, perhaps in a pub. We don’t use this phrase of people dirnking cups of tea, or glasses of milk or fruit juice!)
Answers for Quiz [7].
- 1. stop
- 2. stopped (correct)
8. [Multiple choice]
He’d better not …… his supervisor he’s decided to leave the course.
Answers for Quiz [8].
- 1. tell (correct)
- 2. told
9. [Multiple choice]
At their time of life it’s time they ……… it a bit easy.
Answers for Quiz [9].
- 1. take
- 2. took (correct)
10. [Multiple choice]
She said they’d better ………her grandparents a postcard.
Answers for Quiz [10].
- 1. send (correct)
- 2. sent
11. [Multiple choice]
It’s time they ……… a house and settled down.
Answers for Quiz [11].
- 1. buy
- 2. bought (correct)
12. [Multiple choice]
We’ve decided it’s time we both ……… to lose weight.
Answers for Quiz [12].
- 1. try
- 2. tried (correct)