'It Comes Time' : A Look At Existential It

Kjellmer, Göran

English Studies 2001 82 (4)328-335
(ReLIS:jul:juljig:y:2001:v:82:i:4:p:328-335)

Abstract:

A discussion list on the Internet contained the following sentence (produced by a native speaker of English): 'As usual we split and circulated and flirted until it came time to leave'. One might take the last clause to contain a slip of the pen, 'it came time to leave' sounding ungrammatical or at least unidiomatic. But when The Observer carries an advertisement that starts 'When it comes time to reconsider your copying requirements ...', and when a published book 1 contains a sentence like 'They express a wide range of emotions ... : ... excitement when it comes time to go out for a walk or prepare their food', it becomes clear that the construction 'it comes/came time to' has been used intentionally.

Keywords: Inglés ; Lenguaje escrito
Pages: 328-335
Volume: 82
Year: 2001
Issue: 4

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