LoginExpressing Time For Intermediate learners
Do you know how to talk about time in English? Well, you should know that it's an important thing to learn. So, don't you wanna join me?
How Do We Express Time?
Expressing time refers to representing a specific point in time using numbers. Time is typically expressed using hours, minutes, and seconds.
Parts of the Day
In the following list, you can see the different parts of the day:
Morning: 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 a.m.
Noon: 12 p.m.
Afternoon: 12:01 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Evening: 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Night: 9:01 to 11:59:00 p.m.
Midnight: 12:00 a.m.
How to Tell Time
Time consists of three parts which are hours, minutes, and seconds. An 'hour' is 60 minutes. A minute is 60 seconds. When we want to indicate that the time is exactly on the hour and there are no minutes or seconds, we use the phrase 'o'clock'. Take a look at the following examples:
12:00 → twelve o'clock.
5:00 → five o'clock.
10:00 → ten o'clock
Using Minute and Second
When the time has minutes and seconds, we must indicate all of them. Study the following examples:
8:42 → It is eight forty-two.
1:55 → It is one fifty-five.
6:17 → It is six seventeen.
a.m. and p.m.
When we want to talk about time, we have to know how to use 'a.m.' and 'p.m.'. If the time is between midnight (12:00) and noon (12:00), we use 'a.m.' to show that it is in the period before noon. However, if it is between noon (12:00) and midnight, we use 'p.m.'. Study the following examples carefully:
02:00 p.m.
04:00 p.m.
01:00 a.m.
12:00 a.m. → midnight
Warning!
Please note that we can only use these two words when we do not have any minutes or seconds.
How to Tell Time in Sentences
When we want to make a complete sentence to express the time, we must use 'it' as the subject. Study the following examples carefully:
It is five twenty-five.
It is seven o'clock, mom.
When we want to ask questions about time in conversations, the same pronoun is used in the questions. Take a look at the following examples:
What time is it?
It is three o'clock.
What time is it?
It is two forty-six.
Quarter and Half
Every fifteen minutes is a quarter of an hour. Take a look at the following examples:
2:15 → It is two fifteen. / It is a quarter past two.
As you can see, we can use both sentences.
7:45 → It is seven forty-five. / It is a quarter to eight.
Warning!
Please note that when the minute is before '30', we use the word 'past', whereas when the minute is after '30', we use 'to' and indicate its distance to the next hour. Study the following examples carefully:
6:45 → It is six forty-five. / It is a quarter to 7.
As you can see, the minute is after '30'.
11:15 → It is eleven fifteen. / It is a quarter past eleven.
Here, the minute is still before '30'.
When thirty minutes have passed, we call it a half. Please note that we always use 'past' after this word. Take a look at the following examples:
06:30 → It is six thirty. / It is half past six.
12:30 → It is twelve thirty. / It is half past twelve.
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