Telling the time

Rules

• Rule 1: Full hours → o'clock

  For a full hour, say the number + o'clock. “three hours” is an amount of time, not the time on the clock.

  Pattern: It's + hour + o'clock

  Example: It's eight o'clock.

  Example: It's twelve o'clock.

• Rule 2: Half and quarter

  :30 → half past · :15 → quarter past · :45 → quarter to. You can also say a quarter.

  Pattern: It's half past / quarter past + hour · It's quarter to + next hour

  Example: It's half past four.

  Example: It's quarter past four.

• Rule 3: Minutes → past / to

  In the first 30 minutes, use past and name that hour. In the last 30 minutes, use to and name the next hour. Say the minutes first. In American English you also hear after and till: ten after three (3:10), ten till four (3:50). In American English you also hear after and till: ten after three (3:10), ten till four (3:50).

  Pattern: minutes + past + hour · minutes + to + next hour

  Example: It's ten past three. (3:10)

  Example: It's ten to four. (3:50)

• Rule 4: The digital way

  You can also read the time like a digital clock: the hour, then the minutes. This is very common and easy.

  Pattern: It's + hour + minutes

  Example: It's three thirty. (3:30)

  Example: It's seven forty-five. (7:45)

• Rule 5: at + time · a.m. / p.m.

  Use at for the time something happens: at seven, at noon, at midnight. Parts of the day: in the morning / afternoon / evening, but at night. a.m. = midnight to noon, p.m. = noon to midnight.

  Pattern: at + time · in the morning · at night

  Example: I wake up at 7 a.m.

  Example: We eat dinner at seven in the evening.

Common mistakes

• It's four half. → It's half past four. / It's four thirty.

  The minutes come first, then past, then the hour.

• It's quarter to four. (for 3:15) → It's quarter past three.

  First half of the hour → past; second half → to.

• School starts in eight o'clock. → School starts at eight o'clock.

  Use at before clock times.