HOME > WordMaster® > IT'S ABOUT TIME | やっとだ、もう～してもいい頃だ
2008.01.07(Review of 2003.10.06 edition)
Hello, hello, hello!
We have all the promise of a brand new week before us and a fine new theme lined up. We've selected four plenty-practical, highly helpful expressions you can use to talk about “Time”!
IT'S ABOUT TIME やっとだ、もう～してもいい頃だ
- You can say that it's about time someone did something if you think they should have done it much sooner.
Be Careful! When the expression it's about time is followed by a complete sentence, the verb in the second sentence is usually in the past tense; for example, “It's about time they REPAIRED that road!” - it's about time は、やっとだ、もう～してもいい頃だ、という意味です。もっと前にすべきだった、という意味も含まれています。
注意：it's about time の後に（主語と動詞のある）文章が続くとき、２つ目の文の動詞はいつも過去形にします。例えば、It's about time they REPAIRED that road!（もう道路を補修してもいい頃だ。）のようになります。
- (at a bus stop on a cold winter day)
a: There's the bus.
b: It's about time! I've been waiting here for 45 minutes! - a: Well, Anne and Michael are finally getting married.
b: It's about time! They've been going out together for eight years! - FATHER: Don't you think it's about time you threw away those jeans? Look at all the holes!
DAUGHTER: Dad, that's the fashion! - DAUGHTER: Guess what! I got the lead role in the school play!
MOTHER: That's wonderful! It's about time they realized how talented you are. - (mother to son who's just come home)
It's about time you got back! It's 3:00 in the morning! I've been worried sick!
Bye!