is that the time

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Is that the time?" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
You can use this phrase to ask someone what time it is, or to indicate that you think it is time to leave or stop something. For example: "Oops, is that the time? I have to go!".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

55 human-written examples

One possibility is that, the time of CCl4 exposure to the animals was not enough for the renal damage although oxidative stress could be induced by that exposure.

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Gosh, is that the time?

The Guardian

Another is that the time for emollience has long passed.

The Economist

And what we would expect then is that the time domain picture would be the same.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

When reality bites, is that the time for the artist to lay down his brush?

The New Yorker

What's clear is that the time spent with these products is exploding.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

5 human-written examples

Worth mentioning is that the time-on-stream during the catalytic testing was 120 h.

Applied Petrochemical Research

The resulting requirement is that the time-frequency resolution product must be made very large, with, or equivalently,.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Another limitation is that the time-interval of index-pregnancy to survey is up to 4 years.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

The key element is that the time-dependent offered load as determined in Section  3 is linear in λ d.

Health Care Management Science

The reason is that the time-intervals between sooner and delayed rewards are the same (i.e., 7 days) in the two intertemporal choice problems.

Behavioral and Brain Functions

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "is that the time?" to politely signal that you need to leave or end a conversation. It's a less direct way of saying you must go.

Common error

Avoid using "is that the time?" in formal settings where a direct statement is more appropriate. Its casual tone can sometimes be perceived as flippant.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "is that the time?" primarily functions as an interrogative expression used to inquire about the current time. Ludwig AI indicates its use in various contexts to express surprise or signal a need to depart.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

32%

Academia

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Wiki

6%

Reference

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "is that the time?" is a grammatically sound interrogative expression employed to inquire about the time or to politely signal the need to depart. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, its tone is generally casual and its purpose is often to wrap up a conversation or activity. Common usage includes expressing surprise at the lateness of the hour. While generally acceptable, it is advisable to use more formal language in professional environments. The phrase appears most frequently in News & Media and Science contexts. Alternative expressions include "is it really that late" and "has it gotten that late", offering similar meaning with slight variations in emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

is it really that late

Replaces "the time" with "that late" to emphasize the lateness of the hour.

has it gotten that late

Emphasizes the passage of time and the speaker's surprise at the current hour.

goodness, is it that late already

Adds an expression of surprise and emphasizes that the hour is later than expected.

oh my, is it that time

Expresses surprise or realization that a specific moment or deadline has arrived.

is it time to leave already

Focuses on the implication that it is time to depart or conclude an activity.

can it be that late

Expresses disbelief or surprise at the lateness of the hour.

how did it get so late

Focuses on the speaker's confusion about how quickly time has passed.

i didn't realize it was so late

States directly that the speaker was unaware of the current time.

is that all the time we have

Questions whether the allocated time has expired, often with a sense of disappointment.

is our time up already

Asks if the allotted duration has ended, usually indicating a need to stop.

FAQs

How can I use "is that the time?" in a sentence?

You can use "is that the time?" to express surprise at how late it is or to politely indicate that you need to leave. For example, "Is that the time? I didn't realize it was so late, I must be going."

What's a more formal way to ask about the time?

Instead of the casual "is that the time?", you could ask "Do you have the time?" or "Could you please tell me the time?" for a more formal approach.

What can I say instead of "is that the time" to show surprise?

To express surprise about the time, you can use phrases like "is it really that late" or "has it gotten that late".

When is it appropriate to use "is that the time"?

It's appropriate in casual conversations when you want to politely signal that you need to end the discussion or leave, often due to being unaware of the current time.