Expresiones en Ingles – It’s about time

Everyday Expressions — Episode 8: It’s about time

Curso INTERMEDIO: GRAMMAR – GRAMATICA

Bienvenidos a InglesTotal,

LECCION CON AUDIO: Click en el ícono de PLAY en el reproductor

Podcast: Download

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | TuneIn | RSS

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.

Si quiere seguir todas nuestras lecciones gratis de inglés sigan nuestras redes sociales en Facebook, Telegram y Twitter. También visiten nuestra otra página donde les entregamos un curso de inglés donde ustedes pueden participar mandando sus audios. Más información aquí: www.inglesaudio.com.  Puede también seguir todos nuestros audios en SPOTIFY (enlace aquí) y los que quieran comprarme un café o donar para que esta pagina siga adelante pueden hacerlo usando este vinculo.

Si quieres contribuir con este proyecto puedes mandar una donación siguiendo este vínculo: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/inglestotal

Para obtener clases privadas por Skype o Zoom con el profesor Carlos pueden hacerlo agregando el número +51997746013 al Whatsapp o por correo a contacto@inglestotal.com

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.

Básico | Pre intermedio | Intermedio (nuevo) |Conversación | Lectura | Pronunciación |Material y Recursos | Vocabulary