Korean Job Discussion Forums

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

I came across this mistake:

It's getting late. It's time we will leave.

I know that 'will leave' is wrong. The correct answer confuses me:

It's time we leave./It's time we left.

Can anyone explain this?

Tiny_Tibbo · Joined: 21 Apr 2005 Location: In My Skin

It's time for us to leave?

don't ask me why...I teach kindy...lol

kermit_ojp · Joined: 11 Jun 2005

It's time to leave.

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Let me try this again.

I came across this:

In each of the following examples one choice is wrong. Identify the wrong answer and explain why it is wrong.

6. It's getting late. It's time we _______________.
a. It's time we left.
b. It's time we will leave.
c. It's time we were leaving.
d. It's time we leave.

I know 'b' has the mistake. Can anyone explain WHY it is a mistake?

VanIslander · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 2:22 pm Post subject:

A short explanation is: if "it's time", that means now, not the future "will".

Bunnymonster · Joined: 16 Mar 2004 Location: Tokyo

D seems a bit dubious to me too.

In fact with a comma after the it's time, "It's time(for us to go), we will leave (now)" I think b is perfectly ok.

D on the other hand needs an article in front of the time such as "its the time that we leave" or "its time for us to leave".

Then again I'd stick with a or c and am no grammar Guru, my six year olds rarely know what day it is let alone what time.........................

VanIslander · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 3:24 pm Post subject:

Bunnymonster, "It's time we leave" is perfectly fine. Substitute other verbs in its place, like "go", "eat", etc., as in "It's time we find out the answer to this grammatical question."

Bunnymonster · Joined: 16 Mar 2004 Location: Tokyo

Those all sound wrong, I don't have my grammer eference books here so won't argue, But I'd write:

It's time we ate, its time went went and its time we found an answer to the grammer problem.......
Perhaps its an american thing, I struggle with the finer grammar points of that language...................

"Its the time that we leave" is definitely fine

Where's J.B. Clemmence when you need him..........................

the saint · Joined: 09 Dec 2003 Location: not there yet...

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

So far, VanIslander has been the only one to address 'b', which is the sentence I'm asking about. Thanks Mr. Islander. Your answer is the same one I came up with, but my insecurities set in and I needed some validation.

Bunnymonster · Joined: 16 Mar 2004 Location: Tokyo

Ok the more I think about it the more I'm going with D.

Here is my logic. The present simple in this case is referring to something that occurs in general (every day or occaisonlly, doesn't matter). The sentence at hand is talking about a specific time so we have to either use a past tense to show a specific time away from now, or the present progresive. The present simple cannot really be used o describe what is happening now (and only now).

The sentence with will in is not in my opinion talking about the future more the agreement to do something presently, such as "I will brush my teeth"

For example "Right now I play soccer" is obviously not correct where as "Right now, I will play soccer" is ok.

As I say I'm not sure, I'd really be wanting to circle both B and D...........

some waygug-in · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

My wild stab in the dark. aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

It's time we will leave. Is wrong because of the reason mentioned above.

The only way will could be used is : When it's time, we will leave.

However, I think it could be expressed correctly as:

It's time we should leave.

But I'm a bit hazy on my subjunctives............. Confused

matthewwoodford · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Location: Location, location, location.