In English, when we talk about time, there are some important words and phrases you should know. The word "o'clock" is used when the time is exactly on the hour, like 7:00, which is seven o'clock.
We also use the phrases "a quarter after" and "a quarter past" when the time is 15 minutes after the hour. For example, 3:15 can be said as "It's a quarter after three." The same time, 3:15, can also be expressed as "It's a quarter past three."
Conversely, "a quarter before" and "a quarter to" are used when the time is 15 minutes before the next hour. For instance, 3:45 can be said as "It's a quarter before four," or "It's a quarter to four."
When the time is exactly 30 minutes after the hour, we say "half past." For example, 11:30 can be expressed as "It's half past eleven." And you can also simply say "thirty" to mean the same thing, as in "It's eleven thirty," which also means it's 11:30.
Asking for the Time
In English, you can ask for the time in several ways. Here are some common phrases and questions to use when inquiring about the time:
- What time is it?
- Do you have the time?
- Could you tell me the time, please?
- May I know what time it is?
- What's the time?
- Could you let me know the time right now?
- Do you happen to have the time?
- Can you check the time for me?
Giving the Time
- 8:55 - It's five minutes to nine.
- 9:00 - It's nine o'clock.
- 9:05 - It's five minutes past nine.
- 9:10 - It's ten minutes past nine.
- 9:15 - It's quarter past nine.
- 9:20 - It's twenty minutes past nine.
- 9:25 - It's twenty-five minutes past nine.
- 9:30 - It's half past nine.
- 9:35 - It's twenty-five minutes to ten.
- 9:40 - It's twenty minutes to ten.
- 9:45 - It's quarter to ten.
- 9:50 - It's ten minutes to ten.
- 9:55 - It's five minutes to ten.
- 10:00 - It's ten o'clock.
We use It is or It's to respond to the questions that ask for the time right now.
- It is half past five (5:30).
- It's ten to twelve (11:50)
We use the structure AT + time when giving the time of a specific event.
- The bus arrives at midday (12:00).
- The flight leaves at a quarter to two (1:45).
- The concert begins at ten o'clock. (10:00)
We can also use subject pronouns in these responses.
- It arrives at midday (12:00).
- It leaves at a quarter to two (1:45).
- It begins at ten o'clock. (10:00)
AM vs. PM: Understanding Time in English
In English, we usually don't use the 24-hour clock. Instead, we have a simpler way to show the time using AM and PM.
AM stands for "morning," and PM stands for "afternoon and night."
For example:
- 3 AM means it's three o'clock in the morning.
- 3 PM means it's three o'clock in the afternoon or evening.
Understanding "O'clock" in Simple Terms
We say "o'clock" when there are no minutes. It's a simple way to talk about the time when the minutes are zero.
For example:
- When it's 10:00, we say, "It's ten o'clock."
- When it's 5:00, we say, "It's five o'clock."
- When it's 1:00, we say, "It's one o'clock." Sometimes we just say "9 o'clock" instead of "nine o'clock."
Now, when it's exactly 12:00, we have a few different ways to say it in English:
- "Twelve o'clock"
- "Midday" or "Noon" (this means 12:00 in the daytime)
- "Midnight" (this means 12:00 at night)
How to ask for time formally
When you need to ask for the time in a formal or polite manner, you can use the following phrases or expressions:
- Excuse me, may I inquire about the current time?
- Could you please tell me what the time is?
- Pardon me, but do you have the correct time?
- Might I ask for the time, if you don't mind?
- I wonder if you could assist me by informing me of the time.
