What Time Is It?

Hook

Your train leaves at 7:45. Your friend says “Let’s meet at half past six.” The doctor can see you “at a quarter to ten”. Telling the time comes up every single day, and English has two ways to do it: the clock way (half past six) and the digital way (six thirty).

Notice

  • A: What time is it? — B: It’s three o’clock. (3:00)
  • It’s half past three. (3:30)
  • It’s a quarter past three. / It’s a quarter to four. (3:15 / 3:45)
  • It’s ten past three. / It’s twenty to four. (3:10 / 3:40)
  • The film starts at eight thirty. (8:30)

When do we use past, and when do we use to? Look at the minutes.

Rule

ClockClock wayDigital way
3:00three o’clockthree
3:05five past threethree oh five
3:15a quarter past threethree fifteen
3:30half past threethree thirty
3:45a quarter to fourthree forty-five
3:50ten to fourthree fifty
  • Minutes 1–30: past the hour. Minutes 31–59: to the next hour.
  • am = morning (midnight to 12 noon); pm = afternoon and evening. 14:00 = 2 pm.
  • Ask: What time is it? / What’s the time? Answer: It’s…
  • For events use at: The class starts at nine. What time does the bus leave?

Watch Out

  • ✗ It’s half past four. (4:15) → ✓ It’s a quarter past four. (half = 30 minutes)
  • ✗ It’s twenty past five. (5:40) → ✓ It’s twenty to six. (after 30 minutes use “to” the next hour)
  • ✗ The class starts in 9 o’clock. → ✓ The class starts at 9 o’clock.
  • ✗ What time it is? → ✓ What time is it?

Practice

  1. 4:00 →
  2. 4:30 →
  3. 4:15 →
  4. 4:45 →
  5. 7:20 → (clock way)
  6. 9:50 → (clock way)
  7. Complete: “The shop opens ___ 8 am.”
  8. Is 3 pm in the morning or the afternoon?
Show the answers
  1. four o’clock
  2. half past four / four thirty
  3. a quarter past four / four fifteen
  4. a quarter to five / four forty-five
  5. twenty past seven
  6. ten to ten
  7. at
  8. the afternoon

Your Turn

Say the time now, in both ways. Then write the times of five things you do every day: I get up at a quarter to seven…

Connect

Listen and type times and numbers in words with our Spelling Quiz.

Try our Spelling Quiz →

Build time sentences like “The bus leaves at half past eight” in our Sentence Builder.

Try our Sentence Builder →

CEFR A1 — Listening: I can understand numbers, prices and times when people speak slowly and clearly.

Azizul Hakim
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