What does "in high time" mean?

Test No. [color=blue]incompl/inter-56 “High and Low”, question 3

It’s high we left if we really want to be there on time.

(a) hour
(b) minute
(c) hour
(d) time

Test No. [color=blue]incompl/inter-56 “High and Low”, answer 3

It’s high time we left if we really want to be there on time.

Correct answer: (d) time

Your answer was: n/a
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Hi! What does it mean?
“in high time”

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Here it means the time has definitely come when we must go.

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Hi.
It’s high time we left if we really want to be on time.
It’s from test No. incompl/inter-56 “High and Low”, question 3.
Could you tell me why there is: It’s high time we left; and not: It’s high time we leave? Why is there Simple past tense used?
Thanx in advance.

Hi pivosz

It’s (high) time we left/went/etc.” is a very standard expression and I’d say this form of the verb (left/went/etc.) is an example of the subjunctive. It basically means “we should go” / “we should leave”/ etc.

It only looks like the past tense, but it actually refers to the future.

It’s similar to what you see in some “IF-sentences”:
If we left at 5 a.m. tomorrow morning, we would miss most of the rush hour traffic.” The word “left” in this sentence also refers to the future.

Amy

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Hi pivosz,

Just to add to what Amy has said, let me refer you to some material on the subjunctive that I’ve written for the site.

Alan

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Hello,

I wanted to mention that after
It’s time…
It’s high time…
It’s about time… we use a past time but this isn’t a real past time but a subjunctive.
But after it’s time we can use infinitive also:’ It’s time to go home.’ At the others we can’t use if I know well.
In the second sentence we use’ if +past time+ conditional present so it is not subjunctive but conditional present.

Kati Svaby