Telling the time
Ask for and tell the time in two ways: “half past three” and “three thirty”.
In this lesson you will
- Ask “What time is it?”
- Tell the time with past/to and with digits
- Use at with times and am/pm
Learn
Ask: What time is it? or What’s the time? Answer: It’s + time.
Way 1 (easy): say the numbers. 3:15 = “three fifteen”, 8:40 = “eight forty”, 7:05 = “seven oh five”.
Way 2 (very common, especially in the UK): past and to.
- o’clock for exact hours: It’s nine o’clock.
- Minutes 1–30 are past the hour: quarter past three (3:15), half past three (3:30), ten past six (6:10).
- Minutes 31–59 are to the next hour: quarter to four (3:45), twenty to eight (7:40).
am = morning (midnight to midday); pm = afternoon/evening. You can also say in the morning / in the afternoon / in the evening / at night. Timetables often use the 24-hour clock (14:30), but people usually say “half past two”.
Use at for times: The class starts at 9:30. Ask What time…?: What time does the film start?
| Time | Digital | Past / to |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 | seven o’clock | seven o’clock |
| 7:15 | seven fifteen | quarter past seven |
| 7:30 | seven thirty | half past seven |
| 7:45 | seven forty-five | quarter to eight |
| 7:50 | seven fifty | ten to eight |
Examples
- What time is it? — It’s half past two.
- The train leaves at 6:45.six forty-five / quarter to seven
- I get up at seven o’clock.
- The shop closes at 8 pm.
- It’s twenty past ten.10:20
Vocabulary
o’clock
used for exact hours
“It’s five o’clock.”
quarter
15 minutes
“quarter past two”
half
30 minutes
“half past nine”
midday
12:00 in the day
midnight
12:00 at night
minute
60 seconds
Practice
4:30 is:
Listening: What time?
Audio isn’t available in this browser — read the transcript instead.
Tom: What time is it?
Mia: It’s quarter to eight.
Tom: Oh no! My bus leaves at eight o’clock.
Mia: You have fifteen minutes. Run!
1.What time is it now? (e.g. 7:45)
2.When does Tom’s bus leave?
3.How many minutes does Tom have?
Speaking
Look at a clock and say the time in both ways. Then say what time you usually get up, have lunch and go to bed.
Model answer
It’s three twenty — twenty past three. I usually get up at half past six, have lunch at one o’clock and go to bed at eleven.
Writing
Write your timetable for a normal weekday with at least five times.
Lesson quiz
6:55 is:
Review
Key points
- What time is it? — It’s …
- Minutes 1–30: past; 31–59: to the next hour.
- quarter = 15, half = 30.
- at + time; am (morning) / pm (afternoon, evening).
What you learned
- ✓ I can ask and tell the time.
- ✓ I can use past and to.
- ✓ I can say when things happen.