Depending on the meaning and the subject, the expression “It’s time” can be followed by either a to-infinitive or a past simple verb.
to-infinitive
When we use a to-infinitive, we are talking about the right time to do something, either for ourselves or for someone else.
- It’s time to go to bed. (This is the right time for me to go to bed.)
- It’s time for you to do your homework. (This is the right time for you to do your homework.)
It’s time + past simple
When we use a past simple verb, we are talking about something that should be done now or in the future, ==but it is already a bit late or urgent==.
We often use It’s high time or It’s about time to emphasize. For example:
- It’s time we left. (We should leave now, or we should have left earlier.)
- It’s high time you cleaned your room. (You should clean your room now, or you should have cleaned it earlier.)
Note
The reason why we use a past simple verb in this case is because we are expressing an unreal or hypothetical situation, similar to the second conditional. We are imagining that the action has already been done, but in reality it hasn’t.
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