Telling the time

The Time

Hour + minutes

e.g.:

7:45 – seven forty-five

5:15 – five fifteen

11:30 – eleven thirty

10:08 – ten ‘oh’ eight

Minutes + Hour

e.g.:

7:45 – fifteen minutes to eight

[15 minutes to = a quarter to 8]

5:15 – fifteen minutes past five

[15 minutes past = a quarter past 5]

11:30 – 30 minutes past eleven

[30 minutes past = half past 11]

The Time

‘O’clock’ can only be used at the full hour

e.g. 4:00 – four o’clock not four fifteen o’clock

00:00 – midnight

12:00 – midday or noon

Use ‘in the morning’, ‘in the afternoon’, ‘in the evening’ and ‘at night’ to be clear

e.g. a quarter past nine in the morning or a quarter past nine in the evening/ at night

3:15 three fifteen a.m./p.m. not fifteen minutes past three a.m./p.m. OR a quarter past three a.m./p.m.

The Time

Exercises

Answers

1. Nine fifteen, fifteen minutes past nine, a quarter past nine

2. Six ‘oh’ ten, ten minutes past six

3. Eight forty-five, fifteen minutes to nine, a quarter to nine

4. Eleven twenty, twenty minutes past eleven

5. Four thirty, thirty minutes past four, half past four

6. Six fifty-five, five minutes to seven