Asking the Time
Here are common ways to ask the time:
- What time is it?
- What's the time?
- Do you have the time?
- Could you tell me the time, please? (more polite)
Hours: O'Clock
When it is exactly on the hour, we say o'clock:
| Time | We say |
|---|---|
| 1:00 | It's one o'clock. |
| 3:00 | It's three o'clock. |
| 7:00 | It's seven o'clock. |
| 12:00 | It's twelve o'clock. / It's noon. (daytime) / It's midnight. (nighttime) |
Minutes: Past and To
For minutes, we use past (after the hour) and to (before the next hour):
Past (minutes after the hour)
| Time | We say |
|---|---|
| 3:05 | It's five past three. |
| 3:10 | It's ten past three. |
| 3:15 | It's quarter past three. |
| 3:20 | It's twenty past three. |
| 3:25 | It's twenty-five past three. |
| 3:30 | It's half past three. |
To (minutes before the next hour)
| Time | We say |
|---|---|
| 3:35 | It's twenty-five to four. |
| 3:40 | It's twenty to four. |
| 3:45 | It's quarter to four. |
| 3:50 | It's ten to four. |
| 3:55 | It's five to four. |
The Digital Way
You can also just say the numbers:
| Time | Digital style |
|---|---|
| 3:15 | It's three fifteen. |
| 3:30 | It's three thirty. |
| 3:45 | It's three forty-five. |
Both ways are correct. The digital style is more common in American English.
AM and PM
English uses the 12-hour clock in daily life:
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AM | Morning (ante meridiem) | 12:00 midnight to 11:59 AM |
| PM | Afternoon/Evening (post meridiem) | 12:00 noon to 11:59 PM |
Examples:
- 7:00 AM = seven in the morning
- 2:00 PM = two in the afternoon
- 8:00 PM = eight in the evening
- 11:00 PM = eleven at night
Common Time Expressions
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| in the morning | AM hours (sunrise to noon) |
| in the afternoon | ~12:00 PM to ~5:00 PM |
| in the evening | ~5:00 PM to ~9:00 PM |
| at night | ~9:00 PM to sunrise |
| at noon | at 12:00 PM |
| at midnight | at 12:00 AM |
| on time | not late, not early |
| early | before the expected time |
| late | after the expected time |
Talking About Time
- "The meeting is at 3:00 PM." (specific time)
- "I wake up at 7:00."
- "I study English from 6:00 to 8:00."
- "Lunch is between 12:00 and 1:00."
- "The class starts in 10 minutes."
Example Conversations
At school
Teacher: What time does the class start? Student: It starts at nine o'clock. Teacher: And what time does it finish? Student: It finishes at half past ten.
Making plans
Tom: What time shall we meet? Lisa: How about quarter past five? Tom: That's a bit early. Can we say half past five? Lisa: Sure! See you at five thirty.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Forgetting "o'clock" is only for exact hours
- Wrong:
It's five fifteen o'clock. - Correct: It's five fifteen. / It's quarter past five.
Mistake 2: Confusing AM and PM
- 8:00 AM = morning (school, work)
- 8:00 PM = evening (dinner, TV)
Mistake 3: Using "to" and "past" incorrectly
- 2:10 = ten past two (NOT ten to two)
- 2:50 = ten to three (NOT ten past two)
Practice Tips
- Check the time throughout the day and say it in English: "It's quarter past two."
- Set alarms on your phone and read the time aloud when they go off.
- Practice with a partner: One person says a time, the other writes it down.
- Watch for time in English content: news, movies, podcasts. How do speakers talk about time?