it is time when I settle down.

Question

Hello everybody,Which of these relative adverbs suit best?It is time that I settle down.ORit is time when I settle down.

Fivejedjon · Accepted Answer

It is time (that) I settled down.
It is time for me to settle down.

Mickey Mouse 8241 · Answer

Lots of thanks teacher.

Can I ask two questions related to your responses?

Why cannot we use 'when' ?
The relative adverb when means “in which” or “at which” and is used to refer to a time expression.

Noon is the time when we eat lunch.

Canada is a country where the weather is too cold.

It is always confusing for me, and I don't know when we can use 'when' as relative adverb?
And,
Why did you use the past form of 'settle down'?

Fivejedjon · Answer

Mickey Mouse 8241Why ~~cannot~~ can't we use 'when' ?

Because It's (high) time, with no article preceding it is followed by that, which may be omitted. Your example is of the time, which can be followed by when.

Mickey Mouse 8241Why did you use the past form of 'settle down'?

Because this expression is normally followed by a past tense indicate distancing from reality. If it's time we did something, we haven't actually done it yet.

Mickey Mouse 8241 · Answer

fivejedjon Mickey Mouse 8241Why cannot can't we use 'when' ?Because It's (high) time, with no article preceding it is followed by that, which may be omitted. Your example is of the time, which can be followed by when.Mickey Mouse 8241Why did you use the past form of 'settle down'?Because this expression is normally followed by a past tense indicate distancing from reality. If it's time we did something, we haven't actually done it yet.

What an excellent tip! Is it a fix rule? When we have the article (a,an,the) comes before a noun, we can use relative adverb, otherwise we can use relative pronoun.
is "Canada is a country where the weather is too cold."

it is time when I settle down.

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