Expresiones en Ingles – It’s about time

October 1, 2024Everyday Expressions

Everyday Expressions — Episode 8: It’s about time

Curso INTERMEDIO: GRAMMAR – GRAMATICA

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Les damos la bienvenida a InglesTotal donde pueden aprender inglés gratis. Hoy les entregamos el episodio 8 en nuestra sección  “Everyday expressions”. Recuerden de seguir nuestro nuevo canal en Whatsapp en ESTE VINCULO. En esta oportunidad hablaremos de la frase It’s about time.

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Everyday Expressions: “It’s About Time”

In today’s post, we’re going to explore the phrase “It’s about time,” an expression you’ll often hear in everyday conversations. This phrase can convey a range of feelings, from relief to impatience, and is commonly used when something has happened later than expected. Let’s dive into the meaning, structure, and some alternative ways to express the same idea.

Meaning and Communicative Uses

“It’s about time” is used to indicate that something should have happened sooner. It expresses the idea that the action or event was overdue. Depending on the context and tone, it can convey relief, impatience, or even mild frustration.

Example:

It’s about time you arrived!
(You’ve been waiting for someone, and they finally show up later than expected.)

Communicative uses:

Expressing relief when something has finally happened:
It’s about time I got a promotion.

Showing impatience or frustration over a delayed action:
It’s about time they fixed the leak.

Structure
The structure of this expression is quite simple:

It’s about time + subject + verb (in the past tense)

While the action you’re referring to is still expected to happen or has just happened, the verb following “It’s about time” is typically in the past tense. This usage can seem confusing at first, but it’s a way of emphasizing that the action was expected earlier.

Examples:

It’s about time we left.
It’s about time you called your parents.
It’s about time she cleaned her room.
In these examples, the past tense doesn’t indicate a completed action but rather an expectation of when the action should have already occurred.

Alternative Phrases
If you’re looking for other ways to express the same idea, here are a few alternatives:

“Finally”
Finally, you’re here!
This conveys relief and can replace “It’s about time” in many contexts.

“Better late than never”
You’re late, but better late than never.
This expression adds a touch of humor or understanding when someone or something is late.

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