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Please consider the following constructions: 1. It's time to launch it 2. It's time for launching it 3. It's time for being taught this lesson 4. It's time to be taught this lesson Which one(s) is/are not idiomatic or even wrong?

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    Neither 'it's time to be taught this lesson' nor 'it's time for being taught this lesson' are idiomatic. Even 'It's time that we were taught this lesson' sounds like something people aren't likely to say. 'It's time that they were taught this lesson' is another matter. / 'It's time that we were taught how to differentiate a function of a function' sounds more reasonable.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented May 21, 2020 at 16:10

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The expression "It's time..." generally refers to the present time on the clock or calendar at which something is to start. If this is the case, then the continuation is much more likely† to use the to infinitive.

For example: it's time to eat, it's time to go, it's time to end the lockdown.

The word time also refers to a duration rather than a starting point. For example, there will be time for eating after the show. In such a case the emphasis could be seen as more on the ongoing nature of the action than on its starting point.

But even in this second durational sense of the word time, the to infinitive is more common.

As to your two examples, the to infinitive version in each case is much the better choice.

† This ngram compares time for eating and time to eat.

A simple Google search returns 6.5 million hits for time for eating and 278 million for time to eat.

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  • So, we can use time+gerund only for duration (tho using to infinitive is better even in this case), right?
    – Fadli Sheikh
    Commented May 21, 2020 at 7:36
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    There is no black and white rule here. A parent could say: OK kids, it's time for eating! But much more likely is It's time to eat!
    – Shoe
    Commented May 21, 2020 at 7:39
  • Got it. Thanks shoe.
    – Fadli Sheikh
    Commented May 21, 2020 at 8:00
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    @Fadli Sheikh. The passive construction being + past participle exists. For example: There is a strong argument for being vaccinated. But since vaccinate is a 'punctual' verb (unlike eat which is 'durative'), the to infinitive is much more likely in the it's time to... expression: It's time to be vaccinated. (? It's time for being vaccinated.)
    – Shoe
    Commented May 21, 2020 at 9:41
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    Yes, that's weird, in more ways than one. In general, the infinitive form will be the best choice in a very large majority of cases.
    – Shoe
    Commented May 21, 2020 at 9:51

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